Increased Police Presence As Vice President Biden Lands On St. Croix For New Year’s Holiday

ST. CROIX — It is well documented that Vice President Joe Biden loves St. Croix. He makes multiple visits to the island annually, and it has become somewhat of a tradition for the U.S. Government’s second in command to ring in the New Year on the bigger of the three islands.

This year is no exception, and Mr. Biden and his family landed at the Henry E. Rholsen Airport on Sunday afternoon. His arrival was made abundantly clear by the heightened police presence and the sightings of Secret Service vehicles, and a chopper that scanned the island in accordance with security protocol.

Second-term Democrat Senator Kenneth Gittens, in a press release issued on Sunday, welcomed the Bidens to the island.

“It is indeed a pleasure for me to once again welcome Mr. Vice President and his lovely family. It seems as if it was just yesterday that I spoke with him at the White House and encouraged him to visit St. Croix during our festival season; his normal trips were to St. Thomas/Water Island. As promised, he came the following year after our conversation and the trip to St. Croix has now become a part of his family’s winter tradition,” Mr. Gittens said.

“The Virgin Islands and St. Croix in particular has so much to offer in its rich history, beautiful beaches and picturesque landscapes. But so much more can be done to polish the natural gem and continue to attract distinguished visitors and businesses to visit and invest in the future of our island,” he added.

Mr. Gittens also reminded residents that because of the vice president’s presence on the island, they will notice increased police presence in strategically designated areas in addition to aerial patrol as the entourage. He encouraged everyone to respect the directions from officers and yield the right of way to the motorcade throughout the visit.

“We are at the climax of our Festival Season and with the Bidens’ visit, it increases the activity across the island. I want to commend all of our law enforcement partners who are now all working under the direction of Police Commissioner Delroy Richards. I also want to thank them for their hard work and remind them to remain vigilant as they keep our residents and visitors safe. In all that we do, let’s do it in moderation and be safe during the rest of the holiday season,” he concluded.