Pubdate: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 Source: Virgin Islands Daily News, The (VI) Copyright: 2004 Virgin Islands Daily News Contact: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3486 WE ALL MUST BE CRIME FIGHTERS A task force of local and federal law enforcement agencies is having success in stemming a surge in violent crime that is affecting the entire territory. Last week Territorial Police Chief Novelle Francis Jr. and Police Commissioner Elton Lewis announced eight arrests and the seizure of $25,000 in illegal drugs, along with several weapons. It was the result of an alliance of federal and local law enforcement officers that took to the streets, patrolling high-crime areas and establishing traffic checkpoints. The alliance includes personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforce-ment Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and local and federal officers assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force -A HIDTA. Both Chief Francis and Commissioner Lewis have said the community must help law enforcement officials by providing information about crime. This is a territory of 108,000 residents. The number of people involved in these serious crimes is indeed small. But this small number of people is disrupting the lives of everyone who lives in the territory as well as the thousands of tourists who visit our islands each month. Every Virgin Islands resident must take responsibility when it comes to "Everybody knows..." Perhaps not "everybody knows" who is responsible for certain illegal activity, but it is certainly true that somebody knows. And it is his or her responsibility to contact law enforcement officials and give them any information that can help solve a crime or help stop potential criminal activity. If the citizens of this territory do not take the responsibility to protect this community, then the citizens have themselves to blame for crime that becomes uncontrollable. In August the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with HIDTA launched two hotlines for people to call and report information on the so-called "Commission," a local crime organization that is believed to be responsible for several drive-by shootings and violent deaths. In addition, the V.I. Police Department has a confidential "crime line" for people to report criminal activity. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek