By Susan Mann
Caribbean Net News St Thomas-St John Correspondent
Email: susan@caribbeannetnews.com
ST THOMAS, USVI: US Virgin Islands Governor John deJongh announced plans Wednesday morning for a sweeping territory-wide, anti crime initiative. Attorney General nominee Vincent Frazer was at the Governor's side during the press conference.
The Governor appointed Acting Commissioner James McCall, a former Assistant Commissioner on temporary assignment from the mainland, as the new USVI Police Commissioner. McCall's last position, prior to coming to the USVI was as Supervisory Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, and Firearms. He worked as an agent with that Department in the Virgin Islands, from 1991-94. The Governor selected Territorial Chief Novelle Francis, a St Croix resident with 20 years of VIPD experience, as the new USVI Assistant Commissioner of Police.
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| (L-R) McFarlande, Petersen, McCall, Gov. deJongh, Lt. Gov. Francis, Frazer, and Francis. Photo courtesy of Gov. deJongh staff. |
Governor deJongh said that in the short time he has been governor, minors on St Croix stabbed a citizen to death, a St Thomas high school student was shot on a high school campus, and a police officer was killed in a daylight shooting. He pointed out that many more less publicised crimes had taken place during the same time period. The Governor said that 44 unsolved murders in a two year period, and 125 burglaries on St John within the last year, without a single arrest or conviction is " not acceptable," and, "I believe that we have all come to the point, no, we have gone past the point, that enough is enough!"
Among other announcements were the hiring and training of additional prosecutors, and the hiring of a police recruiter. The Governor said that each district should have a total of 100 police officers.
Commissioner McCall introduced two acting district Police Chiefs after making opening remarks regarding his plan of action to address the territory's crime rate. Sergeant Milton Petersen will serve in that capacity for St Thomas-St John, with Sgt. Winsbut McFarlande as the new Police Chief for the island of St Croix.
McCall said he plans for the establishment of a state-of-the act forensic unit with in the next three years, and will bring in police professionals with specialized skills from other US police jurisdictions. He will re-establish the Blue Lightning Marine unit on St Thomas. The operation was originally put in place to stem the introduction of guns, drugs, and illegal immigrants to the USVI through shore patrols.
Over one million dollars will immediately be spent for a new, advanced territory-wide, emergency "911" system. A new "cold case" unit has aleady been put in to place specifically to investigate unsolved crimes through out the territory.
McCall concluded his remarks with the statement, "You have my word that the VIPD is fully committed to its duty to protect and serve all the residents of the Virgin Islands." |
