RVIPF: Cars being stolen to commit other crimes
Chief Inspector and head of the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), Kenrick Davis has warned residents and car rental companies not to leave keys in their vehicles unattended.
Davis stressed that most car thefts involve vehicles left unattended with keys inside. This practice has led to a spike in incidents over recent months.
“Most of the stolen vehicles were rented cars, either left by the owners for customers to pick up or returned by customers for the owners to pick up. In all these cases, the keys were left inside the vehicles,” Davis said during an interview with ZBVI News.
The Inspector pointed out that 10 reported cases of vehicle theft, most of which were rental cars, have been reported since mid-May.
Importantly, these stolen vehicles were not just missing; they were used to commit other crimes.
“In at least eight cases, the vehicles were used to commit other crimes such as robbery and burglaries, and other property-related offences,” Davis explained.
“In all nine cases, they were able to recover the vehicles in 48 hours, the last one in almost 60 hours,” Davis added. Despite the high recovery rate, Davis said the fact that these vehicles are used in the commission of other crimes remains a significant concern for police and residents.
Davis disclosed that the police have also made some arrests related to these thefts. “In four cases, we’ve made arrests. We’ve also seized stolen items which were taken during the subsequent crimes,” Davis revealed.
According to Davis, a firearm was recovered in one of the vehicles, while some vehicles had housebreaking implements such as lock cutters, crowbars, gloves, masks and related items.
The use of stolen vehicles to commit further offences poses a serious threat to the community, and the RVIPF is urging residents and car rental companies to change their behaviours to help prevent thefts.
This alarming trend is a deviation from the norm for the island, which traditionally did not experience motorcar thefts at such a scale. “For years, the BVI had no such issue. We’ve always had some amount of thefts of boats, small vessels, and so on, but not motorcars,” Davis shared.
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Stronger measures need to be taken to stop criminals from making money off of a maj life.
The first step to fixing the criminal conduct in the BVI must be to fire the DPP
Young Black males with ties to the updeislun
CARI CRUMB, knowingly and wilfully imported and installed by a BVI resplendent in the self destruct phenomena of the Caribbean chain,
break it down for us again
We may all soon have to change our behaviors to suit a few bad apples. I just hope they those let it get worse without allowing us to fight back. How are the cars being stolen from rental companies without notice. They should be parked in the company parking lot under a camera.
Hopefully them take the premier jeep next but they might no make it far wid all them holes in the road
front end gone
They won’t get far! The fuel tank is more than likely on ‘E’ as he has previously ran out of gas – just like the territory!! Oh well, dumb ppl do dumb things. I got my cigar cutter ready for (10) fingers and (10) toes in case they try me….
Limit renting certain types of cars to only visitors and NOT residents?
Seems like way too many rental cars on Tortola anyway.
The police getting pay they are the ones who tells the criminal when to do . Dur*** is West he live in the dew mom house. They are the ones who tells the criminal so they going to be in one spot wild crime taken place. So we the people have to keep a good eyes out around u
Come to my house is something waiting for them the police are not doing anything to these thugs God done send help I will put them down
Nice, I’m with you. Try breaking into my car and you will be very disappointed and mashed up.
I totally agree , whether they from here ,/ up the Island / down the Island left of the Island or right of the Island , take them out ,all I want is their seeds for my PITBULLS
Here you come again , anoymther new name , different day same racist narratives against our black people, why don’t you just keep your evil thoughts to yourself and stay in your yello site and keep out of us humans business
“The truth is incontrovertible.
Malice may attack it,ignorance may deride it but in the end THERE IT IS ”
” I like good people no matter who they are or what they look like…”
Those whose mission is to hurt and to destroy and make life for others a living hell…nah not my cup of tea.