Crime??

[travel99]

I have been reading on several sites about the increasing crime in the USVI. Was wondering if it is safe to snorkel and have belongings on the beach?? Also, has anyone had any problems with crime in St. Thomas/St. John.

[hcat]

they do have lockers as I recall but we left out few belongings on the beach with no problem...next time I'd get the locker

[rklemay]

We have been to St. Thomas and/or St. John at least 10 times and have never had any problems with crime. As you would when you travel anywhere, just use good judgement but we have never had any trouble on the beach or anywhere else.

[richtersl]

Like the previous poster mentioned, use good judgement.

 

To be on the safe side, I would keep my belongings in sight at all times. Don't drape anything valuable (or a bag with anything valuable) over the back of a beach chair. Your valuables can grow legs and make an escape never to be seen by you again. :p

 

It doesn't matter how many locals versus tourists frequent the beaches. A fellow tourist can rip you off just as easily as a local can.

 

We've never encountered problems, but have heard some horror stories.

[The Islander]

Wouldn't leave anything too valuable unattended on the beach. Get a little waterproof case for id and cash/cc and keep it with you. If you have multiple couples in your group you might take turns going in the water and staying with your stuff. Or get a locker if its available.

 

A couple beaches have lockers. Most do not. On St. Thomas Magens Bay has lockers and at Coki one of the vendors has lockers with lock/key and a couple other vendors have large tupperware bins and they will hold and watch items that way. On St. John either or both Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay have lockers.

 

--Islander

[beachchick]

For us, it doesn't matter where we are. If we're visiting a beach and want to swim/snorkel, we use a locker if one is available. If not, we never take valuables to the beach anyway. We use small waterproof cases to hold DL, credit card, ship card, cash (and a slightly larger one when we have a rental car so we can safely store the car keys. We never, ever bring good cameras or other equipment to the beach. We haul our snorkel gear, towels, sunscreen, and water in our snorkel duffel. That's it. If there are no lockers and we're both in the water snorkeling, the only things on the beach are our duffel, towels, and sandals. If we lost those, we'd be distressed, but not extremely upset. On cruises and other tropical/water trips, we have our IDs, cash, credit card, etc. in our waterproof safes whenever we head out. In the water, my DH wraps the neck straps around my bathing suit strap and tucks them into my suit at the small of my back. That way we don't have to worry about them strangling us in the water. We often take a disposable underwater camera.

 

It's not a matter of having bad crime in St. John/St. Thomas so much as it's a matter of being cautious at any tourist location.

 

beachchick

[richtersl]

It's not a matter of having bad crime in St. John/St. Thomas so much as it's a matter of being cautious at any tourist location.

 

beachchick

 

Well said! :)