V.I.P.D. officers were on the scene of a shooting incident that left one man dead and another injured on Tues. Dec. 28, 2021 in the area of the Red Brick beach. (Credit: V.I. Consortium) Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
Police Commissioner Ray Martinez has disclosed that strict enforcement of laws and regulations will be an important measure as the V.I. Police Department develops approaches, strategies, and tactics aimed at reducing crimes in the territory.
“Folks, we are amping up our initiatives, we are doing everything in our power with all of our resources to make our streets safer," he said while speaking Wednesday on the Bryan administration's "Inside the Cabinet" program, where the administration interviews its cabinet members and other officials.
Mr. Martinez's comments came hours before a shooting on St. Croix left two individuals injured Wednesday night in the D. Hamilton Jackson Terrace, also known as the Red Brick Housing Community. Among the injured was a female victim described by a person with firsthand knowledge of the matter as a hardworking employee of the U.S. Postal Service on St. Croix.
"If you are out there and you continue to violate our local and federal laws, we are amping up initiatives and we are coming for you,” Mr. Martinez announced.
“You are going to run into our roadblocks, our traffic initiatives, we are working on a host of different things including warrants that are going to lead to arrest for drug cases, assault cases and definitely murder cases,” he said while declaring that the enforcement efforts will be both local and federal.
Aired live on television and on the Government House Facebook page, Mr. Martinez said the Police Department can no longer afford things to go the way they are because violence should not be part of the community.
“I will not sit here and tell you that we are going to be able to stop every violent crime event from occurring; this is impossible. But what I can tell you is based on our increased efforts on both the local and federal sides, we are really going to put a dent in those crimes that have occurred and those that will occur in the future,” he said while recalling the recent criminal activities that have resulted in the loss of lives.
The police commissioner said he aims to decrease violent incidents by increasing enforcement efforts. He also said that a portion of the V.I.P.D.'s work will be done with the assistance of the recently formed Office of Gun Violence.
"We are going to be enforcing! Enforcing! Enforcing! We are also going to work on preventive initiatives but right now it’s about enforcement,” he said.
Mr. Martinez announced that the V.I.P.D. has been issuing citations for small violations, and the results have been encouraging. “Those small violations that we have been issuing citations for have led to a number of firearm confiscation and the arrest of several young men,” he said while sharing information about the successful confiscating of two handguns and eight rifles.
He also made known that an initiative that sees officers targeting dark tints on vehicles, a violation of USVI law, has led to further arrests. "In making those stops we also had the individuals who continue to choose to traverse our roadways while continue to have drugs or drug paraphernalia in their vehicles,” he said.
The commissioner called on citizens to help the V.I.P.D. by providing information about family members who they know are involved in any criminal activity. "Report them to us,” Mr. Martinez said in his appeal.
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