Senate Committee Approves Bill to Raise Traffic Fines, Establish VIPD Impound Lot

Legislation which would increase penalties for traffic violations and establish the V.I. Police Department Impound Lot was approved by the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, and Public Safety on Thursday. The bill, sponsored by Senator Kenneth Gittens, was first introduced in the 35th Legislature but was held in Committee in December 2024 after VIPD representatives failed to attend the meeting under the mistaken belief that it had been canceled. Their absence, however, did not prevent most lawmakers from supporting the bill, then referred to as Bill 35-0417. On Thursday, Gittens reintroduced the proposed legislation, now called Bill 35-0036.  “The need for this bill arises from the fact that the fine schedule in the traffic code has not been updated in many years,” he Gittens stated. According to the lawmaker, roadways have become “more congested and traffic violations have evolved” while “penalties for such violations have not kept pace with inflation or the seriousness of the...