Dear Source:
It is no secret that crime is a serious issue in our community. It is also no secret that as our elected officials have come and gone, with each election, we hear candidates promise to address the issue of public safety. Yet over the years, this community has suffered from an increase in crime, a decrease in police services, and thus a decrease in the safety and security of our citizens.
It is obvious that this community must be safe in order to thrive. This issue is of the utmost concern to those of us who have accepted the responsibility for providing this necessity. We are dedicated to this community, and we are committed to performing our duties in order to maintain the safe and secure environment that we all deserve.
However, public safety is not solely the responsibility of the men and women of the Virgin Islands Police Department. We do the work – but our work must be supported by the efforts and contributions of the Administration, our Legislators, and the Community as a whole.
Under the most ideal of circumstances, police officers are expected to come to work each day, knowing that it might be necessary for them to risk their own lives in order to insure the safety of others. Our circumstances are far from ideal. The Department suffers from manpower shortages at every rank and position, which creates an added burden for our active officers. The Department's communication system remains antiquated and inadequate, though hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on improvements. When these two factors are added together, the result is that it takes longer for us to respond to the needs of the community.
The Governor, through the Commissioner, has the responsibility of setting the department's policy. The Commissioner is responsible for developing the strategic plan for fighting crime, which is carried out by the police officers. The Legislature has the responsibility of approving and providing adequate funding for police services, as outlined in the yearly budget that is submitted by the Governor and the Commissioner.
As supervisors and commanders within the police department, we are responsible for making sure that the officers we supervise carry out the duties that are listed in the police department's policies and strategic plan. However, we do not create the policy, we are rarely asked for our input before policies are made, and we are not often asked whether or not current policies are working, or how they can be improved. This means that some of the vision of the policy makers is not realized to its full potential because efforts are not monitored for effectiveness and modified accordingly.
The Community must be willing to step up as well. First and foremost, you must follow the law. Second, you must be willing to report crime when it happens, whether it happens to you, a family member or friend, or a stranger on the street. You must not facilitate crime by purchasing stolen goods or protecting people that you know have broken the law. Also, you should hold us accountable. Be willing to speak up and voice your concerns. Tell us what we're doing right and what doesn't work.
This is our community. We all want the same things when it comes to our safety; we just have different roles to play. We are all responsible for bringing about the change that we desperately need. We cannot expect different results if we keep doing things the same way.
Lt. Joseph A. Gumbs
V.I. Police Department
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