Crime/Police
Governor Updates Territory on Police Vetting and Law Enforcement Review
Vetting of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force will continue despite a draft court order pausing enforcement actions, Governor Daniel Pruce said in a statement Friday, Aug. 29, stressing that the process remains essential to ensuring integrity, public trust and national security.
Governor Pruce said his office has received a draft court order that allows officers to continue submitting vetting forms but temporarily halts enforcement measures for incomplete or missing forms until the court issues its final decision later this year. “Meanwhile, the vetting process remains open and ongoing, just without the ability to apply those enforcement provisions foreseen in the regulations,” he said.
As of this month, about 100 officers — more than a third of the 270-member force — have submitted their vetting forms, the governor said. He acknowledged that some officers have expressed concerns over the personal nature of the questions but emphasized that vetting is necessary to ensure integrity within the police force, protect officers from vulnerabilities, and build public trust.
“The whole point of the vetting process is to enable us to have awareness within the force, and confidence that officers meet the standards that we all expect of them,” Mr. Pruce said. He added that the process does not request passwords, PINs or login credentials, clarifying public concerns.
The governor also provided an update on the Law Enforcement Review conducted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. The two-volume report, published in June 2024 and April 2025, sets out a ten-year roadmap for improving law enforcement and criminal justice in the territory. Governor. Pruce said that about half of the recommendations have been initiated, with 20 percent completed and 30 percent in progress.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about some of the 375 recommendations in the second volume, and Governor. Pruce said he expects to meet with Premier Natalio Wheatley in the coming days to address a small percentage that require further consideration due to resource, political or constitutional implications.
He added that security reforms, including vetting and the review, are essential for national stability and prosperity. “Vetting protects the integrity of the police force; it strengthens the trust of the public and it preserves our national security,” Mr. Pruce said.
Governor. Pruce also highlighted preparations for next month’s Anti-Crime Summit, calling it an opportunity to involve government agencies, civil society and the wider community in addressing crime prevention. “The challenges we face in the Virgin Islands are not challenges we can solve by arresting and imprisoning people,” he said. “We need a whole-of-government, whole-of-community effort.”
The governor extended condolences to the families of Jamal Jones and Trevecca Hodge, both long-serving public officers who recently passed away.
Police are urgently searching for the driver involved in a dramatic hit-and-run collision that left a female pedestrian injured after she was struck and flung into the air along the Dual Carriage Highway Thursday night.
According to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), the incident occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. on February 19, 2026, in the vicinity of Delta Gas Station in Pasea Estate.
Preliminary reports indicate that the woman was crossing the eastbound lane of the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle traveling west to east. Although the driver reportedly attempted to brake, the vehicle was unable to avoid impact. The force of the collision sent the pedestrian airborne before she crashed onto the roadway.
In a troubling development, the vehicle did not stop. Instead, the driver fled the scene immediately after the collision, leaving the injured woman lying on the highway.
Emergency Medical Services responded swiftly and transported the victim to Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital for treatment. Her condition remains unknown at this time.
The RVIPF has launched an active investigation into the hit-and-run and is appealing to members of the public who may have witnessed the incident or have information that could help identify the vehicle or driver involved.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339 or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 (TIPS).
Police say further updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, working alongside other law enforcement partners, intercepted a vessel and recovered a quantity of illegal narcotics during a joint operation last night, December 8, police said.
In a brief statement, the RVIPF confirmed that the operation resulted in the seizure of the drugs but did not disclose the type or quantity recovered. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and described it as dynamic, noting that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Premier Hon. Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley criticised Governor Daniel Pruce’s appointment of Richard Ulger as interim acting police commissioner, saying the decision sidestepped the established process and failed to respect the advice of the Police Service Commission.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Nov. 21, Wheatley said the Police Service Commission had already submitted a recommendation for a substantive Police Commissioner and that this recommendation is expected to come before the National Security Council soon. The Governor’s decision, he argued, pre-empted that process and created unnecessary tension around a critical public-security appointment.
“In my view, it would have been better to conclude that process before appointing an interim acting commissioner,” Wheatley said. “The Police Service Commission has made a recommendation, and that recommendation should have been allowed to proceed.”
The Premier also noted that Acting Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool was returned to her substantive post of Deputy Commissioner after serving as Commissioner for one year. While acknowledging that Governor Pruce acted within his constitutional authority, Wheatley expressed concern about how the authority was used.
“Though the Governor is within his constitutional rights, I am concerned that the way his discretion has been exercised is not in keeping with the modern partnership that the United Kingdom has committed to,” he said. “The process has been poorly handled and does not reflect transparency, good governance, or sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of the people of the Virgin Islands.”
The decision follows a week of public demonstrations, during which residents peacefully protested what they viewed as political overreach. Wheatley said he and his colleagues in the House of Assembly supported the public’s right to assemble. “Persons exercised their democratic right to assemble and peacefully protest,” he said. “We respected and supported that right.”
Wheatley said he raised his concerns directly with Steven Doughty, the United Kingdom Minister for the Overseas Territories, during a call on Wednesday. He added that he has also been in ongoing dialogue with Governor Bruce through Cabinet and the National Security Council.
The Premier linked the controversy to a broader constitutional conversation in the Territory. “The handling of this matter underscores the importance of negotiating a constitution that provides greater democratic accountability to the people of the Virgin Islands,” he said. “This includes devolving more responsibility to the elected government, including responsibility for internal security.”
Wheatley is scheduled to depart the Territory on Friday for the Joint Ministerial Council meetings in London, which he will co-chair in his capacity as President of the Political Council of UK Overseas Territories. The JMC, hosted by Minister Doughty at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, is the highest-level annual forum for dialogue between Overseas Territory leaders and His Majesty’s Government.
This year’s meeting, he said, “forms part of a broader reset in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories.” The UK Government is expected to introduce a proposed Charter on Engagement, outlining new principles for transparency, communication, and collaboration. Leaders will also discuss bilateral compacts, long-term frameworks designed to strengthen planning and clarify shared priorities between the UK and participating territories.
Throughout the week, Overseas Territory leaders are scheduled to take part in plenary sessions, technical workshops, and political engagements covering security, development, governance, and economic planning. As Chair of the UK Overseas Territories Association, the Virgin Islands will play a central role in shaping collective positions.
Wheatley said he intends to continue voicing the concerns of Virgin Islanders at every level of discussion. “I will continue to engage in respectful dialogue with the Minister for the Overseas Territories and the Governor as we remain steadfast in defense of the security of the people of the Virgin Islands and their democratic rights,” he said.
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