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The Home Journal
Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas County, Virgin Islands
What is this article about?
Editorial criticizes aggressive policing in the Virgin Islands, where peaceful residents face petty arrests to build criminal records. Police are pressured by superiors, exemplified by the ousting of Lieut. Morris. Warns against turning the force into a Gestapo-like entity and questions purchases of riot and machine guns.
Merged-components note: Continuation of editorial from page 1 to page 3. Changing label from story to editorial for the continuation.
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We Don't Want A Gestapo Here
There are no people anywhere, more peaceful and law-abiding than the people of the Virgin Islands. Law violations are at a minimum, and rarely are crimes of violence committed. On those infrequent occasions when heinous are committed, invariably the offenders are non-Virgin Islanders.
Within recent months, a campaign has been instituted and designed, it appears, to give as many citizens as possible criminal records. Policemen are being bulldozed to make arrests and to file charges for the most petty infractions.
We do not blame the Continued on page 3.
No Gestapo Here
Continued from page 1
policemen. They only carry out orders handed down from above. Police officers are browbeaten and threatened if they do not file charges loose and fast. Some of them have devoted a lifetime to the job, and naturally they want to hold on to it. They have seen what has happened to Lieut. Morris, who was forced out of the department with the snap of a finger. When they found that they could not force him to retire, they filed a 9-page letter filled with fantastic charges, some of them dating back to 1924, when Mr. Morris first joined the force.
We have some fine men on our police force, and if some of them appear to be acting unusually tough and impatient it should be explained that they are under pressure never before experienced,
Either they do what the bosses say' or out they go.
They have no choice.
This community has not had a riot in its history.
But considerable money is being spent on RIOT GUNS AND MACHINE GUNS to do with, we do not know.
Someone ought to take Commissioner Hernandez aside and tell him that this is the Virgin Islands, not Chicago, New York or San Juan. We maintain a police force to preserve law and order, to discourage crime and apprehend criminals.
We do not want our police force turned into a German styled Gestapo, riddled with informers and stool pigeons, seeking to make of innocent law abiding citizens. This community will not stand for such monkey business too long.
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Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Opposition To Gestapo Like Policing In The Virgin Islands
Stance / Tone
Strongly Critical Of Police Overreach And Pressure From Superiors
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