Government

VIPA Struggles to Fill Law Enforcement Ranks on St. Croix Despite $5K Sign-on Bonus

Despite offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for new recruits in the St. Croix district, the V.I. Port Authority’s law enforcement department continues to face challenges in attracting team members, according to VIPA’s assistant executive director Bill Rawlins, who testified on the matter before the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, and Public Safety on Tuesday. VIPA currently employs 22 law enforcement officers in the St. Thomas/St. John district and 10 officers on St. Croix. The officers are responsible for “protecting life and property” at the territory’s airports and seaports. To address “serious staffing challenges”, Mr. Rawlins told lawmakers that VIPA is currently engaging in an “aggressive recruitment program” which includes the additional financial incentive. However, that dangling carrot seems to go unnoticed as the perk has been in place for two to three years at this point, with few positive responses to date. Lawmakers learned that applicants on St. Thomas/St. John qual...