Two estates this week joined the network of Neighborhood Crime Watch groups across the territory, and Police Commissioner Rodney Querrard urged other neighborhoods to take the step.
In a statement released Friday by the V.I. Police Department, the Crime Prevention Bureau welcomed Peterborg East and Santa Maria to "the Neighborhood Crime Watch family."
Querrard urged residents of other neighborhoods to join together and reduce criminal activity by forming Neighborhood Watch groups.
“I have always said the community is the key to the reduction of crime in the Virgin Islands,” Querrard said. “There was a drastic reduction in crime from 2012 to 2013, and I went on record stating that reduction was a result of the community being a part of the solution. One proven effective method to reduce crime is by establishing Neighborhood Crime Watches in every island neighborhood.”
Sgt. Bridget Conow, acting director of the Territorial Crime Prevention Unit that oversees formation of neighborhood crime watches in the V.I., said, “We are so excited to work with these neighborhoods and help them create a strategy to reduce crime in their area.”
“The new groups join the more than 50 other established neighborhood watches on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John," Conow added.
There is no cost to participate in the Neighborhood Watch program. The first step is to contact the VIPD Crime Prevention Bureau, either on St. Thomas/St. John at 1-340-776-1525 or on St. Croix at 1-340-773-6393. An officer from Crime Prevention will come to interested neighborhoods meetings and with setting up a program.
