St. Croix Police Chief Oakland Benta is making good on his promise to bring relief to the residents of Grove Place. On Saturday and Sunday police and supporting agencies “cleaned up” a section of Grove Village where illegal drug use and sales take place. Earlier in the morning, police executed search warrants on 11 apartments in the Mutual Homes housing community.
At a recent town meeting at the Eulalie Rivera Elementary School addressing criminal activity in the area, Chief Benta said he would step up police presence in Grove Place.
Illegally constructed shacks were demolished along the street referred to by residents as “Jamaica Avenue.” A crew of about 20 employees from the Departments Agriculture, Public Works and local contractors were present along with about 10 police officers from the Special Operations Response Team.
Benta said the land is owned by a local union and private families and that he obtained written permission from them to clear the land. As the bulldozers, payloader and tracktorvator removed the structures and cleared the land, evidence of illegal activity was uncovered including live marijuana plants, and drug paraphernalia such as wrapping paper and plastic bags used in drug sales. A litter of puppies and their mother, who took refuge under one shack, was removed by the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. Other crews cut down overgrown vegetation so drugs could not be hidden there.
“The drug dealers will not be comfortable here any more,” Chief Benta said as benches constructed around a large tree were removed.
Chief Benta, the officers and the crews continued the clean up for eight hours on Saturday and eight hours on Sunday. Residents of the area stopped and talked with them expressing their appreciation. A 25-year resident of Mutual Homes told police that she had send her children to live with relatives because it is unsafe. “I was glad to see the police searching the apartments,” she said. An elderly resident of Grove Place said “They [the criminals] have no respect for themselves or anyone else. This is a great this the police are doing.”
Chief Benta said no weapons were confiscated and no arrests were made in the early morning search of several Mutual Homes apartments; however the department is gathering information and working closely with the apartment management. He said “This community is on high alert; I am not surprised nothing was confiscated, everything was already cleared out.
The residents who are involved in criminal activity know we are serious. We said we were going to come and we did.” The chief added the apartment management is planning additional security measures and the department is working with them to ensure that only legitimate tenants are occupying the apartments.”
Chief Benta said the actions taken in Grove Place are part of an “ongoing operation” and police presence will remain high in the area.
US Virgin Islands News