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‘Crime is everywhere’ not just in VI- Penny Haycraft

Penny and her late husband Peter Haycraft, OBE came to the Virgin Islands in the 1960s from the United Kingdom and made the Virgin Islands their home, where they were embraced by the locals. Photo: GIS/File
Appearing as a guest on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on September 4, 2023, Penny Haycraft, 2nd from right, was asked what her thoughts were about the negative changes in the VI community over the years, including gun violence. While expressing sadness about the fatal shooting in Long Bush on Sunday night, September 3, 2023, Haycraft, the wife of the late businessman Peter Haycraft, OBE, suggested that the [British] Virgin Islands (VI) is still one of the best places to live. Photo: Facebook
Appearing as a guest on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on September 4, 2023, Penny Haycraft, 2nd from right, was asked what her thoughts were about the negative changes in the VI community over the years, including gun violence. While expressing sadness about the fatal shooting in Long Bush on Sunday night, September 3, 2023, Haycraft, the wife of the late businessman Peter Haycraft, OBE, suggested that the [British] Virgin Islands (VI) is still one of the best places to live. Photo: Facebook
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI- While expressing sadness about the fatal shooting in Long Bush on Sunday night, September 3, 2023, Penny Haycraft, the wife of the late businessman Peter Haycraft, OBE, has suggested that the [British] Virgin Islands (VI) is still one of the best places to live.

The popular Haycrafts came to the Virgin Islands in the 1960s from the United Kingdom and made the Virgin Islands their home, where they were embraced by the locals.

The Haycrafts were well known for their business ventures and founded RiteWay, before selling the business a few years ago.

Appearing as a guest on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on September 4, 2023, Haycraft was asked what her thoughts were about the negative changes in the VI community over the years, including gun violence.

“My thoughts are sad whenever I hear anything about that, shootings, I think there was one just yesterday (Sunday), very sad,” Haycraft replied.

‘Crime is everywhere’- Penny Haycraft

She continued that she and her late husband used to talk about this and “other things that we saw and didn’t really like happening. At the end of it we would say ‘is there anywhere we would rather be? No’.

“Because crime is everywhere,” Haycraft said, adding that they would joke about going to live on Roundrock.

Haycraft reminisced that in her early years in the VI, it was a close-knit community.

She said with the absence of television persons had to make up their own entertainment. “And that was going to people’s houses. It was very simple…”

Haycraft also shared that when she and her husband began living in the Virgin Islands they were embraced by the VI people, who were very kind and welcoming.

16 Responses to “‘Crime is everywhere’ not just in VI- Penny Haycraft”

  • fish (05/09/2023, 11:28) Like (54) Dislike (1) Reply
    Thank you for your service to the vi Ms Haycraft
  • Xxx (05/09/2023, 11:35) Like (49) Dislike (2) Reply
    The Haycrafts help built this island that we know and love today.
    • @xxx (05/09/2023, 13:51) Like (5) Dislike (37) Reply
      It is to find out how he built it and who all locals got shafted.
      • To @xxx (05/09/2023, 18:43) Like (6) Dislike (4) Reply
        Now you know some of the BVI elites do not want to hear this even if it has merit.
    • Entire Truth (05/09/2023, 18:21) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
      Yes and there were locals who helped give them that start including helping them get a loan from the Bank in St.Thomas for them to start. And when Riteway wanted to expand to East End long look and create fine food store. It was investors like Simon Potter's father and other big men from Longlook who financed it. So please write the history truthfully.
  • Madussa (05/09/2023, 11:52) Like (25) Dislike (3) Reply
    We are all sad and upset about the crime and murders here. We have been complaining now for years so this is not new and has been going on up until now. The question is how do we reclaim our islands to rid them of the escalating criminals here? I don't see Police at all regularly patrolling the islands like Super Cop used to. We cannot have one Cop doing everything while the others sit on their behinds in an air-conditioned car and allow thugs to ruin us. Some cops are so fat and need to walk around just to lose weight. How did they pass the physical and cannot even run to help or chase someone? This place has gone way down and now need to get back to doing what is supposed to be done, protecting the citizens and stopping the thugs who have more guns than the Police!
    • @Madussa (05/09/2023, 12:39) Like (17) Dislike (7) Reply
      Time to admit the Commissioner of Police is a failure and is only working on an agenda and not about the safety and security of the people of the BVI. He has a challenge with the truth and goes after anyone who exposes this and who challenges him. He is a dangerous man in that position and needs to be relieved of his duties. Even some of the white officers are now saying the same thing.
      • Sparks (06/09/2023, 08:23) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        We tried police commissioners from BVI, Caribbean (I think), and UK. Why not bring in one from USVI with no ties to BVI, and with USA training, and see if that helps?
  • Rodney (05/09/2023, 11:59) Like (34) Dislike (1) Reply
    Such a wonderful and inspiring lady.
  • Faithful (05/09/2023, 12:01) Like (22) Dislike (3) Reply
    And that is the unadulterated truth. Someone speaking with a common sense approach.
  • Correct (05/09/2023, 12:40) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Gun men only going for there own kind,drugs man going to meet there own,a business with no work isn't no business at all,drugs in the vi clearly is taxi drivers as I would call it,they don't produce it neither they don't use it,simply move it to different locations to make a day job,but some of the one doing to driving around talk to talk too much that's why gone missing or hiding.
  • Senior native citizen of the British Virgin Islands (05/09/2023, 13:16) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
    I certainly do agree.with Mrs. Haycraft, however
    after the desastrous effect caused by hurricane Erma, Sept. 6th 2017, and shortly after tropical storm, Maria, a huge spiked of crimes, including deadly ones by guns, not to exclude political and religious has become a local pandemic in the B.V.I, and fastly growing.

    It is true that the B.V.I crime rate is far lower than most, if not all, countries in this world I don't have the statistics nor am I a statistician on crimes matter.

    Helping to reduce crimes, especially deadly one,s is the duty of all, not just for the RVIPF and a minority number of our people that are living among us.

    As a man, whether he or she, thinks in the mind, the same is he/she.

    Genuine love being practice among us is the only mental medication against the negative effects of this spiking, ongoing, deadly pandemic, namely Hate.



  • Finally (05/09/2023, 14:10) Like (18) Dislike (2) Reply
    FINALLY SOMEBODY WITH SENSE. PLEASE LET THE GOVERNOR, THE UK AND THE REST OF THE WORLD KNOW THAT CRIME IS EVERYWHERE. THEY WOULD HAVE EVERYONE BELIEVE THE B.V.I IS THE WORST PLACE TO LIVE (ROLL EYES). COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD PER CAPITA THE B.V.I IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACE TO LIVE AND WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR NOWHERE ELSE.
  • street reporter. (05/09/2023, 14:25) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Penny I can agree. However, the BVI is very small and criminals taking too long to get caught, if and when they do get caught..There lies our problem..
  • Emancipation (05/09/2023, 17:59) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes crime is everywhere but let’s do our part to keep ours low please. Crime is on the rise in “these” Virgin Islands and it’s not something we should ever get accustomed to.
  • Hmm (07/09/2023, 09:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's not happening MacNamara..cause that's were the biggest bosses locate


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