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The Virgin Islands Police Department is notifying the St. Croix public of live-fire testing for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection service set to be conducted on St. Croix Monday. The notification comes after St. Thomas residents complained and criticism was levied at the department for conducting the tests in St. Thomas without advance public notice.
According toVIPD Public Information Officer Toby Derima, for safety and security reasons, the department will not divulge the time or location of the live-fire tests.
The purpose of the test is to verify all ShotSpotter systems are operating as expected and guide any final adjustments before activating the service, the police force said. The ShotSpotter service is not considered live and operational until the successful completion of the live fire test.
VIPD officers will be onsite at all test locations to ensure conditions for testing are safe, according to Mr. Derima. The controlled tests will consist of a sequence of gunshots fired at close range into a bullet trap. No bullets will be fired into the air and there will be no danger to the public.
Residents are encouraged to call the 911 Emergency Call Center if you have any concerns during the live-fire testing. For more information before the testing begins, contact the Office of the Police Commissioner at (340) 778-2211 in St. Croix.
