Source reader Julie King writes to ask about the territory’s murder rate: "I had read somewhere recently that the V.I. has a higher murder rate than Mexico. Is this true? Where do we stand with our murder rate as compared to the rest of the U.S. and the rest of the world?"
Julie,
In a January 2010 article entitled, "Drugs, Gangs and Guns Fueling Caribbean-wide Crime Surge," The Source reported: "For a population of between 100,000 and 110,000 residents, the 56 homicides committed in the U.S. Virgin Islands last year pushed the territory alongside Jamaica and Trinidad, which have jockeyed several years running for the dubious title of ‘murder capital of the world.’” So, yes, our murder rate is higher than Mexico’s; and with 32 homicides in the territory in 2010 already, that rate could potentially climb.
The territory’s murder rate is almost equal with America’s homicide capital, New Orleans, which registered 64 murders per 100,000 people (according to FBI figures quoted in the Times-Picayune). The overall U.S. murder rate is 5.4 murders per 100,000 people.
Thanks for your question, Julie. Please continue to send them in!
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