Public Safety
- Warren Mosler
- Jul 29
- 1 min read
Statistics show that gun ownership rates are associated with homicide rates. The US, for example, has the most guns and the highest homicide rates of all the wealthy nations. The direct path to reducing homicides - getting rid of all guns - is not available for the USVI, as we are subject to Federal law that encourages the high levels of gun ownership. This increases the difficulty of reducing USVI gun violence and public safety. However, there are things we can do to enhance the public safety of our population.
My proposals include:
Cameras as a deterrent to crime. Cameras will be placed strategically at entrances/exits of our limited access neighborhoods, reducing the need for police patrols, which increases the police coverage available for remaining areas where cameras aren’t as effective.
Establish a functioning crime lab.
Fund security guards in residential neighborhoods.
Establish high visibility information booths in commercial areas in sight of each other to assist tourists and report issues to police.
Establish small police substations to reduce response times.
Establish a dedicated grant writing unit to access the millions of dollars of Federal grants available to assist in law enforcement.
Improve the efficiency of the legal system with a goal of reducing the backlog by 90%.
Facilitate increased National Guard enrollment.
Catalog data on those arrested that includes educational history and family circumstances, to determine patterns that could be addressed.
Eliminate enforcement of USVI marijuana laws, to free up resources to address other criminal activity. (Federal law and enforcement would remain.)
Support current providers of drug counseling, rehabilitation services, and homeless services.
