Fees charged by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be raised $2 beginning Tuesday to fund establishment of Peace Officer’s Standard Training Council, according to a joint statement by Police Commissioner Rodney F. Querrard Sr. and BMV Director Jerris T. Browne.
The statement issued Wednesday said the purpose of the POST Council will be to develop uniform training standards for all local peace officers.
The POST Council was established during the 23rd Legislature by former Sen.r Gregory A. Bennerson Jr., a 25-year-veteran of the V.I. Police Department, who recognized the need for the territory’s peace officers to attain certification equal to their stateside counterparts. That certification is achieved through the council.
The POST Council is mandated to, among other responsibilities, provide high quality training to V.I. officers through the VIPD Police Academy, certify and decertify peace officers, adopt a comprehensive standards program and conduct assessments on those programs.
Since its inception, the council has been hampered by a lack of funding, according to Wednesday’s news release. In 2000, during the 23rd Legislature, the Senate enacted Bill No. 23-0306 (Act No. 6391) to fund the POST Council by increasing fees associated with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
All BMV transactions, including vehicle inspection, vehicle title and driver’s licenses, were legislated to be increased by $2.
A complete list of fees can be viewed at local BMV offices.
“The increase was never implemented due to the government, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Police Department being cognizant of the continuing economic hardships that many Virgin Islanders face,” Browne said.
Querrard said implementing the mandates of the POST Council is crucial.
“We can no longer delay the implementation of POST," the chief said. "An effective POST Council can determine the level of success of law enforcement and its ability to curtail crime in our community. The council will ensure that the training and guidelines encompassing all local peace officers will be on par with the VIPD. This implementation will strengthen the manpower of the VIPD by augmenting it with equally trained local Virgin Islands peace officers.”
