Crime On Vieques

This is a topic I’ve put off writing about for a while but it needs to be addressed, especially for those of you coming down for the first time. Vieques is just like any small town up in America. Our population is very friendly and welcoming to visitors. It essentially acts like one large, extended family but, like any big family, there are always a few black sheep.

Let’s start with the good news first. Violent crime on Vieques is exceptionally rare. Being mugged at gun or knife point is almost unheard of down here. Compared to the rest of the Caribbean or South Florida, Vieques is very safe. The small handful of criminals down here don’t want confrontations. The use of violence or a weapon will quickly draw the full attention of the police and since this is a small island, our cops know all the usual suspects. What tourists do need to deal with is petty theft.

It’s an established fact that we do have a problem with cars getting broken into, especially while parked at the beaches out in the Wildlife Refuge. Basically, if you leave your new camera on the passenger seat of your rental car while going for a swim, you’re asking for it to get stolen. Rental cars are easy to spot and the small group of thieves down here can pick one out easily. This is no different than any other tourist-heavy beach town. The same thing will happen from Cape Cod to the Florida Keys and it’s totally avoidable.

When I head to the beaches here on Vieques to do some fishing, everything I need, other than my rod and reel, is in my pockets. My driver’s license, cell phone, small digital camera, extra leaders, and a half dozen bonefish flies will all fit into a single zip-lock sandwich bag. A pair of forceps will be clipped to my belt loop and I‘m ready to go. I leave nothing of value in my Jeep, especially since it has no top or windows anyway. In fact, I purposely keep my Jeep full of beach sand and trash. This way the local thieves never know what unpleasant thing they’re going to find if they blindly start groping around under my seats. (Click here for a good story about that: http://www.viequesangler.com/2009/01/vieques-hitchhiker.html.)

Most of the rental cars on the island are some type of hard topped SUV, and even the new canvas top Jeep Wranglers can be fully enclosed. You should never lock these vehicles after you park them at the beaches. Even if you’ve paid attention and left nothing in them, a locked vehicle actually tells a thief is that something good might be in there. The nearest rock is all they need to find out that you were actually smart enough to take your valuables with you. Roll your windows down and leave the doors unlocked anytime you park at a beaches. This way you won’t come back to a smashed window and a $500 charge on your credit card to replace it.

Your rental house is a different story. This should be completely locked up and all of your belongings placed inside every time you leave. Again, this is no different than any other vacation spot up in the States. If you go out at night you should leave several lights on, and if you have a TV or radio leave that playing at a normal volume, too. Make the place look occupied but don’t get your neighbors mad at you while your doing it. Again, the thieves don’t want a confrontation and will avoid any place that looks like someone is home.

With all of that said, every once in a great while a tourist is confronted physically. This happened recently to one of my angler’s girlfriends while she was sitting alone at Sun Bay. From the account he told me, a local junkie threatened her with a screwdriver and made off with a camera and some money, but she wasn’t touched or hurt at all. The police were called and knew exactly who they were looking for and quickly rounded him up. Her belongings were not recovered but the junkie probably got slapped around a bit after they found him. Our cops are good like that.

In that situation down here, I’d recommend fighting back. If you’re confronted at the beach by someone with a screwdriver or anything else, grab a handful of sand and toss it in their face. Then start screaming profanities at the top of your lungs. The one thing to remember is that the vast majority of criminals anywhere, including the ones here on Vieques, are lazy and stupid. If they weren‘t, they’d be out working for a living and making a lot more money. Make it an effort for them to get to your stuff and they won’t bother trying in the first place.

After nearly five years of living down here, this is the first incident with a tourist that I’ve personally been close to. It’s a black eye for Vieques but fortunately this couple didn’t let it ruin their impression of our island. I can’t stress enough that violent crime is exceptionally rare and petty crime is easily avoidable. I won’t be the only person to tell you this but pay attention to it now and you’ll have a perfect vacation down here.