siandmi

My husband has accepted a job in St. Kitts that will last for two years. I've been reading about the crime in St. Kitts and it has really started to freak me out... some scary stuff. Has anyone reading this ever spent significant time in St. Kitts recently? As in more than a couple of weeks? If so, what did you think about the crime? Is it really as bad as it seems?

virginia

i must admit i assumed you were listening to the doomsdayers but did a search & found this disquieting article: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-633325
it seems to be mostly young men, so i'm thinking drug related, but still scary.
guess i'd look for a house with good security installed.

RoamsAround

For accurate answers post your question here: http://sknmyislands.com/forum/

Lots of St. Kitts experts, including many locals, are on that forum.

For what it is worth, most crime on the island is gang/drug related and perpetrated by locals against locals. If you take the same common sense precautions as you do where you now live you should be just fine. FYI - there are plenty of Ex-Pats living on the island who have never experienced any type of crime.

Suta

It is absolutely as bad as reported. Friends of mine went there for their honeymoon last year (June 2012). The house they were staying at was broken into by two men who pistol whipped and robbed them - of a grand total of $70. They were so seriously injured that they had to return to the states for medical treatment. I realize that your post is from 2011, but I hope that anyone else who's looking for info on Nevis will see this and think twice about going. Crime is rampant, but no one tells you. Crime + no integrity = a bad place.

cw

I've been visiting both St. Kitts and Nevis for over 20 years. I'm sorry that happened to your friends but it is an unusual occurrence. The people in Nevis are some of the nicest I've met.

PhillyBob1

I was working as a chef on St Kitts in 95'96'. One night after work I went out to have drinks and play pool with some nice local friends and co-workers in town..I was so tired from work, I told my friends I'd wait in the jeep for them and to hurry if they wanted a ride home. I was wearing lounging pants with no pockets so I put my hard earned $80 in my shirt pocket and proceded to fall asleep out side of the bar in my car. It was a quiet area, no creeps visibly hanging around. Something startled me, I woke to find a young kid about 15 yrs old with his hand in my shirt pocket...Oh geez, in a split second he took off with my dough. I didn't even try to follow him fearing and ambush if I did. I knew quite a few locals so I thought I was pretty well informed about where and where not to go..Crap happens on all the islands to an extent.I must say that I found the locals for the most part very warm and helpful..and St Kitts can be quite a breathtaking place if you know where to go for it...Have a safe trip!

Sunfish2017

I'd really visit the site http://sknmyislands.com/
I did before I visited (twice) without issue (female solo traveller)
Also met lots of nice people from that site when I visited the Island. There are many who are ex-pats living there now.

A beautiful island with great people. There are issues everywhere, problems appear larger than life when on an island I think.

Might go again at Xmas as a matter of fact
... or Grenada ... or St.Lucia