I wish to publicly expose a serious problem existing in these U.S. Virgin Islands. This problem, if left unchecked, will certainly lead to the collapse of social order in our small community of 100,000 residents.
We, and I say we because all of us share some blame, have contributed to the erosion of respect for our laws and those who enforce said laws.
Gypsy taxis operate without licenses or medallions, undermining the existing taxi industry. Unlicensed businesses have become the norm, most times not paying taxes or fees, denying our revenue-starved treasury of much-needed dollars.
Traffic signals are ignored, and a dangerous game of Russian Roulette is played out daily.
Minors regularly buy alcohol at boat rides, festivals and musical events, and become intoxicated, reckless and sometimes violent.
Illegal immigrants fill our job market, pay no taxes, send most of their income back home, and create shantytowns that blight our neighborhoods.
Thousand-dollar fines for littering are ignored, while roadside trash, neighborhood junkyards, unsightly mobile food vendors and abandoned properties dot our landscape like ugly scars infected by neglect.
The human tragedies of prostitution, drug addiction and street people harassment has become commonplace and widespread.
Some of our leaders and citizens now think they are above the law, and one senator recently refused to comply with a police officer's request to exit his car after a traffic incident, choosing to drive off instead, eventually whining about "some prior problem with the officer."
When you add up all these infractions, mix in all the armed robberies, break-ins, car thefts, assaults, rapes, spousal abuses and shootings, a picture emerges that reveals a flaw in our community. We are both victims and perpetrators. No one is innocent. Yet we cry out our frustrations at the way things are going.
The road back to the good life is paved with enforcement and respect. Laws are carefully crafted to create harmony in daily life.
A fair and consistent enforcement protects a community against those selfish citizens who exploit any weakness or illegal opportunity.
A $1,000 fine for littering does nothing to prevent litter; only enforcement can do the job. We must enforce our laws for them to work, we must train our enforcement people to be fair and consistent, and finally we must police ourselves by example.
Editor's note: Andrew Rutnik is the commissioner of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
