Several V.I. Police Department offices, including the department’s fiscal, property, payroll, human resources, and insular investigation offices, have moved to the Rainbow Complex in Frederiksted, the VIPD announced Wednesday.
“The move is to reduce rental, utility, and gasoline costs to the VIPD, as well as centralize the offices to better serve the public,” Assistant Police Commissioner Raymond Hyndman said in a statement.
The relocated offices were formerly located at Castle Coakley and are now housed in the Rainbow Building in Estate Hannah’s Rest where the V.I. Energy Office formerly resided. The office of Highway Safety, which was located in Estate Diamond, has moved temporally to Gallows Bay.
In some cases, offices serving the public, such as insular investigations, have moved to a first floor location to ease access for the community. As several VIPD locations are nearing the end of their lease agreements it was prudent to centralize those offices, according to the department. This move will significantly reduce rental, gas and utility costs, and reduce time spent by employees traversing to the various offices to conduct business, according to the department.
“Considering the budgetary constraints the government is experiencing the police department is undergoing a number of changes that will result in cost savings to the government. None of these changes will affect our ability to serve and protect the community; however it is both timely and prudent that we exercise increased fiscal responsibility,” Hyndman said. “There was only a slight interruption of services as the offices were moving; they are now functioning at 90 percent as we fully complete the move."
If anyone in the community has a question on where an office is now located, please call the main police number during regular working hours at 340-778-2211.