RVIPF admits to taking civilian to USVI & back on powerboat
Allegations
The allegations were brought to the public by commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline on his Honestly Speaking show on ZBVI 780 AM on April 5, 2022.
“I understand this past Friday, I don’t know if it's Immigration or Customs… but they stopped the Royal Virgin Islands Police (RVIPF) boat from taking somebody out the country, didn’t clear them here, clearing them into St Thomas and bringing them back,” he alleged.
Mr Skelton-Cline had also expressed concern that maybe the matter is being covered up.
The RVIPF’s side of the story
The RVIPF, in a statement today, April 7, 2022, from its Media Liaison Diane L. Drayton, said the incident actually took place on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.
According to the brief statement, “officers of the RVIPF travelled to St Thomas on official business on-board the Midnight Justice. A prospective officer, who applied and successfully fulfilled the requirements to join the Force but was not yet sworn in, travelled with the team on that trip to St Thomas.”
According to the statement, no other civilians were on-board the vessel.
“Present inquiries are ongoing into whether that prospective officer followed required Immigration and Customs procedures for exiting and entering the Territory.”
The RVIPF said it is cooperating with Immigration and Customs officers.
Spotlight on RVIPF
The spotlight has already been on the RVIPF following recent allegations that they were using police vessels to do bar hopping in late January 2022.
Commissioner of Police Mark Collins had said it was a legitimate operation of familiarising colleagues new to the Virgin Islands.
“I can assure you this wasn’t a social event. It was a planned familiarisation visit for some colleagues new on Island. And I am very happy and confident about this operation,” Mr Collins told our newsroom.
Collins had also claimed that the officers were doing patrol and several boats were stopped; however, there were questions raised as to why the officers would do such an operation in civilian clothing.
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28 Responses to “RVIPF admits to taking civilian to USVI & back on powerboat”
Something telling me there's more to this that's not mentioned.. you can't trust um.THE POLICE IS NOT YA FRIEND!!! So don't stick up for them
we all need to understand that there no special laws for the police. The laws of the territory must be followed by one & all
NOW / THE POLICE HAS TO DO CERTAIN THINGS BEFORE THE INFORM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW INFO IS BEING LEAKED BY PEOPLE WORKING INSIDE THE LAW AND OUTSIDE THE LAW , SO DEPENDS ON WHAT IT IS , THAT INFO WILL BE SHARED WITH CUSTOMS OR IMMIGRATION BEFORE OR AFTER
You'll always trying to cover up the crap that's being done. If he is not a police and he enters illegally it is smuggling. But because the white COP encouraged the police boat to go out again it is right.
You say he came here for a police job, but didn't go through immigration and customs so isn't that smuggling? COP Resign that's two times you used the boat for your police use.
So to me, if I was the immigration and customs, I would do a check in the USVI to see if they checked in down there for a fact.. if they don't have records, then it never happened.They never went on official duty because they never left! So the bigger question is, what is their intent in fooling the public and why would they risk their jobs. Too much "untruths" telling here. An example needs to be made cause we all know what is good for the goose is good for the gander.