Neighbourhood Watch, more street lights coming to stymie crime on VG
In an attempt to restore the low crime status on Virgin Gorda, Ninth District Representative Vincent Wheatley said plans are underway to implement a neighbourhood watch and increase the number of functioning street lights on that island.
Wheatley told BVI News on Monday that these were some of the measures that will come on stream soon to deter criminal activities.
“We realize that some places are dark. The lights were destroyed during the hurricanes and have not been restored as yet. So we are working with the Electricity Corporation to restore street lights in the old areas and to add new areas with street lights,” he stated.
He explained that the details of the neighbourhood watch is currently being worked on as members of the Virgin Gorda community are formulating plans on how they can collectively protect their neighbourhoods “to create more eyes around”.
WhatsApp reporting group
One of the ideas he explained is to create a WhatsApp chat group so that any suspicious activities can be reported through the group.
Other plans on the horizon are to increase police presence and install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) on the island, he said. Wheatley has personally pledged $20,000 towards CCTV for that island.
He said it will cost between $30,000 and $50,000 for the cameras to be installed at strategic locations around the island.
“So, apart from the money I would pledge, certain individuals pledged funding to assist. In Virgin Gorda, we have great public-private partnerships, so I will target private individuals and companies for funding like we always do,” Wheatley told BVI News on Monday.
“The Ninth District is all about tourism, and I have to do all I have to do to make sure that the Ninth District has a good reputation of being crime-free. Tourism is our bread and butter, and we cannot allow crime to flourish in the Ninth District,” he added.
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People on VG know who these criminals are but they refuse to drop the dime. Neighborhood watch is unlikely to change anything.
Even if I knew who did it, I would never tell/help the police. They don’t help people and do lots of dirty work, so to h**l with them.
20,000?!!!! Me a$$, PEOPLE NEED HELPPP, PEOPLE STRUGGLING, YOUNG PEOPLE BEGGING!! Boy go buy some cheap cameras
Facts! It have people who’s in the community chat who’s updating the culprits as if their a watch dog!!! VG community chat needs a purging out!!
Why is it that I can’t thumbs up or thumbs down comments? This is an on going situation and you can fix it but don’t. I can’t be the only one constantly blocked by BVI NEWS.
Not many tourists in the ninth these days so why bother now.
There are a few know wn criminals on VG, those who steal and trade with impunity. Are the Police afraid of them? We know who they are. Their activities have been reported. Yet they continue to operate.
If there is no enforcement of laws, what is the point of this? The Magistrate system that is used to charge people with crimes takes months to charge someone with any violation. It also takes so many people to implement and hand deliver summons that police just stop mid way through. This pretty much means BVI nationals can do whatever they want without any consequences (non belongers just get deported). The recent crime spree is just a result of this. REFORM the justice system! Stop this waste of money! We need a ticketing system and easy to understand fines that can be enforced.
Take this money and finish the swimming pool in Virgin Gorda. These kids have nothing to do. So they now ride their scooters, smoke pot and steal things. The pool is almost finished and there are changing rooms with showers. God knows the kids of the BVI could benifit from learning to swim and competing. It is about time we invest in these kids, and not lock them up!!