VIPD Calls for Continued Community Trust

St. Croix Times Staff

Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) Commissioner Mario Brooks led a Thursday press conference that was designed to put the public at ease over a recent outbreak in crime in the USVI.

“While many of us feel like things are out of control, the data shows something different,” Commissioner Brooks said. 

Major crimes tracked by the FBI - murder, robbery, assault and burglary - have decreased by 19% this year. 

"We made strides over the past few years by successfully removing several local gang leaders from our streets,” stated the Commissioner. “This is no accident, it’s the result of focused policing, determined investigations, and a dynamic shift in a community that barely spoke up to the police in the past, to a community that is now choosing to speak up.”  

The Commissioner acknowledged the pain and suffering of recent murders that took the lives of 38-year-old Jordan “Dutty Heart” Jones on St. Croix, and 28-year-old Shylane Degallerie on St. Thomas.

Their deaths marked the 16th and 17th in the Territory this year compared to 15 at this time in 2024.  

“These are not organized, gang-related killings,”  Commissioner Brooks explained. “These are conflicts between individuals, some within the home, and those are the hardest to prevent. They happen in private, and often escalate with little warning.”     He indicated that crimes of passion are always more difficult to predict, but they are not beyond intervention. 

“We believe these acts are also more preventable, if we are willing to change how we approach and handle our conflicts with each other,” the Commissioner advised. “It is okay to ask for help before things spiral out of control.”     

He encouraged residents to seek help at the onset of such resentments, pointing to services like anger management and family counseling available through Human Services and the Family Resource Center.

The Commissioner spoke about important changes in the VIPD’s way of handling crime. The Department now uses data to guide officer deployment by prioritizing presence in high risk areas which have been identified through crime reports. He also cited the use of ShotSpotter which pinpoints where shots have been fired throughout the Territory, along with drone technology that helps to maximize manpower.   

In relation to patrols on the Boardwalk he noted that the VIPD is tracking how quickly officers are responding and arriving on the scene of a crime.

“Presence matters, but so does how quickly we get there. And how fast we’re told what’s happening. The presence of an officer can be a deterrent, but the community has to communicate. We can’t be everywhere at once.” He spoke to the recent call for more police presence in Christiansted.

It must be noted, if a criminal is hell-bent on committing a crime or murder, there is little to be done to prevent them, no matter how many police are on patrol in any given area. 

Still, the Commissioner was optimistic on the overall containment of crime in the Territory.

“We are seeing real progress, not only in the numbers but in the community’s trust,” Commissioner Brooks advised. “They are utilizing Crime Stoppers, they’re utilizing different avenues to get us the information. We will do our best to utilize that information to help us solve the crimes while ensuring that they remain anonymous…The public is fed up. They’re coming forward. That’s why arrests are being made.”

Police Chief for the St. Croix District, Uston Cornelius is hoping that residents will come forward with information involving the early morning June 8th shooting in Peters Rest where three people were shot in what could have started as a drive-by shooting in the empty lot between Carlos Car Wash and Carlos Bar, which was closed at the time. Commander Marisol Colon, Commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau on St. Croix noted there were apparently several witnesses to the incident. She urged those with information to either call her directly or call 911, or call Crime Stoppers.

VIPD is also still looking for information involving the recent disturbing theft of brand-new kitchen equipment at Eulalie Rivera K-8 Elementary School, which has yet to be recovered. There was also mention of a recent burglary at a home on the West Side which is currently under investigation.