VIPD Gains Recognition for Child Car Safety Seat Initiative

M.A. Dworkin

USVI - The VI Police Department (VIPD)/ Office of Highway Safety’s (VIOHS) Occupant Protection Program Manager, Denise Gomes, received national recognition at the 20th annual 2025 Kidz In Motion (KIM) Conference held recently in Madison, Wisconsin. KIM is the largest international conference focused specifically on keeping children safe in vehicles.

VIOHS Program Manager, Denise Gomes, was recognized for working “tirelessly to ensure that every child in the U.S. Virgin Islands has access to a car seat and that parents are educated in that respect.” The speaker at the KIM event described Ms. Gomes as the “first on the frontline,” inspiring her team to do the same.

“The Territory is recording over 5,000 crashes annually with 65.5% of our children under age 8 riding at risk,” explained Ms. Gomes. “It is time that our community makes the safety of our children a priority. By educating caregivers on the dangers of non-compliance, we help them to make safe decisions for the children in their care.” 

In FY 2025, the Occupant Protection Program distributed over 550 car and booster seats, along with training, to USVI families in need. 

The program also coordinates, Territory-wide, a team of CPS Technicians who are nationally certified to assist caregivers with the safe selection and use of child restraints. 

For more information on child passenger safety resources and assistance, contact the Virgin Islands Office of Highway Safety through Director O’Neal at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov, or Ms. Gomes at denise.gomes@viod.vi.gov. You may also contact the office via phone at 340-712-6073 or 340-473-7383.