Lt. Barrington Thomas. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
ST. THOMAS — V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez has confirmed to the Consortium that Police Officer Lt. Barrington Thomas, who was announced as police chief for the St. Thomas-St. John District on Sept. 3rd during a press event announcing Mr. Martinez's leadership team, has resigned from the position, with the resignation taking effect Friday.
Deputy Chief Steven Phillip, who was once the chief of police, will serve as acting chief until Mr. Martinez announces a replacement.
The police commissioner thanked Lt. Thomas for taking up the role. "I appreciate the fact that he accepted the role and the responsibility," said Mr. Martinez, who pointed out during an interview with the Consortium that he has given a high level of autonomy to his chiefs in each district to run a wide array of the V.I.P.D.'s affairs. "My philosophy has always been that the chiefs oversee police operations, which is roughly 90 percent of the department, and with the autonomy that they are given it's a tremendous role and responsibility. As such, I really appreciate the fact that Chief Thomas stepped into that role," the commissioner stated.
Even so, Mr. Martinez said his plan on how to achieve the goal of effective policing in the territory may sometimes conflict with contending opinions. "We have to understand that while we may all be trying to get to the same end result, we may all have different philosophies on how to get there," he told the Consortium.
Lt. Barrington's knowledge and experience will continue to be utilized in the department, according to the commissioner. "While he will no longer be in the role of chief of police for the St. Thomas-St. John District, I will continue to draw on his experience in moving the department forward," he said.
Lt. Barrington has over 33 years of policing experience.
