Police Commissioner James H. McCall is advising the Virgin Islands community that on December 23, 2008, the federal and local Department of Justice and the Virgin Islands Police Department filed a Joint Motion and Consent Decree in the Federal District Court of the Virgin Islands. 

“This is a problem I inherited, these issues contained in the decree were documented prior to 2005,” McCall said. “Since I have been commissioner the department has addressed this in a proactive manner. In fact, I contacted the USDOJ to re-open negotiations which led to the signing of the consent decree.

The department has introduced an official use of force policy and made structural changes, McCall said. “Internal Affairs is now headed by an attorney with an extensive law enforcement background, the Training Department is now headed by a former FBI agent with an extensive police training background and experience working under consent decree conditions. Department procedures have been made uniform throughout the Territory and we are holding supervisors accountable for what happens under their watch. The deficiencies pointed out in the decree are being addressed and all the items will be accomplished,” Commissioner McCall said.  

McCall said all parties are committed moving this process forward and added this is not the first time he’s had to resolve problems of past administrations. “Just as we recently met prior administration’s obligations to our police officers by bringing them up to their pay grade and paying retired and active officers monies that have been owed since 1981, we will work with the Federal Government to clear up these allegations that were levied prior to this administration,” McCall said.