COMMENTARY: The Spy and the Gangsta

By Dickson Igwe, Contributor

There appear to be zero solutions in the ongoing tragedy of native sons in the Virgin Islands taking to a criminal culture where they murder each other without thought and remorse. Why? Because as this Investigative writer asserted in a previous story, culture is the most difficult factor in a society to change.

There are two hypotheses offered in this story. Both are imaginary scenarios.

First: investigators in the USA pick up ominous signals after breaking into an encrypted WhatsApp account. Further monitoring links the account with an address in Los Angeles. Suspicion mounts when there is a clear line of communication between this address and a notorious terror organization in the Middle East. Individuals are identified and cell phones are tapped for information. However, the suspects are playing their cards close to chest. Something big is going down. The address in Los Angeles is placed under surveillance. It appears to be a large apartment where a number of men of Middle Eastern origin reside and hangout.

A date is derived from chatter. The nature of the chatter is very hush hush. This date is repeatedly mentioned but nothing further is obtained. Then on the date mentioned early morning two men are seen exiting the apartment and walking away swiftly. They are carrying a briefcase. They head in the direction of a local synagogue with a large nursery for Jewish children. Investigators wait until the men approach the synagogue. The two men scale a wall nearby in order to gain entry by stealth. Investigators pounce. In the briefcase is a timing mechanism and plastic explosives: a tragedy is averted. The men are arrested.

The second scenario: investigators receive a call from a street informant that a hit has been ordered on a local gangster. However, this gangster is in turn an informant for the investigators and his murder will set back intelligence operations in an ongoing drug investigation. Investigators begin to guard this villain diligently. Through cell phone taps investigators pick up chatter pointing to a time and place of the hit. It is a well–known restaurant. On the night of the hit investigators observe the now identified hitman as he approaches his quarry. He is immediately arrested and the hit is neutralized.

To juxtapose the two preceding scenarios with the Virgin Islands is valid. The way to improve safety in the territory is through the creative adoption of secrecy, intelligence and digital technology. Proactivity and pre-emption are the key benefit of an effective intelligence network. Effective investigators can in many events join the dots, and create narratives and likely scenarios that lead to life saving action. Investigators can establish a motive and move swiftly before the act is accomplished

The key agency to drive intelligence and investigation in the Virgin Islands is the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force. The adoption of stealth and intelligence, combined with secrecy and creative networking is the answer.

However, is the Virgin Islands Community willing to allow greater intrusiveness by investigators? Is the lack of trust by the public for the police not a huge setback in the effort to establish any intelligence network?

A culture of silence an be penetrated by good intelligence leading to leads and successful outcomes. Establishing a local intelligence agency that is highly secretive and trusted is the clear answer to ending this tragedy of murder and unsolved murders in the Virgin Islands.

The problem is there is no will by the powers that be to get this done.  Why? That is a question we will all have to ponder.