Following the violent end to Carnival weekend on St Thomas, where three people were shot – two fatally – in less than 24 hours, Governor Albert A. Bryan Jr once again spoke of the necessity of helping young male Virgin Islanders develop better conflict resolution skills. Photo: VIC

“Cameras are not a deterrent for people who are on a mission,” the governor responded following a question on the deployment of surveillance equipment in downtown Charlotte Amalie during the carnival festivities. “We're able to deter a lot of crime from happening, but not all."

Speaking during Monday's press briefing from Government House, the governor further stated, “We need to talk to our young men about resolving matters because all the amount of cameras, all the amount of police are not going to be a deterrent to people who are determined to take other people's lives."

While there is increased camera surveillance in place for mass crowd events such as Carnival, Governor Bryan noted that in at least one of the incidents, cameras may not have been particularly helpful. “We can't put cameras in the bathroom. From what I understood, that's where the incident took place,” he noted, referring to the Saturday night shooting in a Fort Christian restroom which claimed the life of 26-year old Frankie Matthew.

Despite the potential lack of incriminating video footage, the governor nevertheless expressed faith in the investigative abilities of the police to find Mr. Matthew's killer. “We've got great officers, and they're going to track them down.”