Feb. 14, 2007 — The 27th Legislature has begun to gear up, with senators scheduling territory-wide meetings and hearings later this month.
Senator-at-Large Carmen Wesselhoft has announced she will conduct meetings beginning Feb. 26 on all three islands for an overview of the operations of government agencies handling public safety and homeland security. Senator Carlton "Ital" Dowe, chairman of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary, has scheduled hearings beginning March 1 to consider the governors' nominees for many top government posts.
Wesselhoft, chairwoman of the Committee on Public Safety, Homeland Security and Justice, said it is essential to hear from the agencies to assess their needs and establish priorities in terms of funding and policy, according to a news release from her office.
"We have some new leadership in place, and I am anxious to hear their plans in terms of fighting crime and preparing us for any type of emergency situation," she said. "This meeting will help us determine where we need to go in the coming months in order to best assist and direct their efforts."
Many people have been invited to attend the meetings, according to the news release, including representatives from the Police Department, Fire Services, VITEMA, the Bureau of Corrections, the Port Authority, the Justice Department, the Superior Court and unions representing employees of those agencies.
Wesselhoft said she hopes to set the tone for a positive and productive working relationship between her committee and the agencies.
"We all recognize that we have a crime problem, and that our police and corrections officers, in particular, are in need of greater support," Wesselhoft said, according to the news release. "I have many ideas of how we can begin to address this through improved technologies, new policies and special programs. But first we must get a sense of which direction this new administration will take and what changes are already in the works."
Her campaign called for a modern forensic lab and police academy, and Wesselhoft has several pieces of public-safety legislation pending.
"The lab and the academy must go hand in hand," she said. "Our police officers must be trained in the latest and best techniques for gathering, handling and storing evidence. A forensic lab is only as good as the evidence collected by our police force. I envision the academy as a place where new officers can get high-quality training, and senior staff can return for advanced courses and professional development."
The first meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 26 on St. Thomas in the Legislature chambers. The meetings will continue at 10 a.m. Feb. 28 on St. Croix and 10 a.m. March 5 on St. John. Subsequent meetings will be held for public input, the news release said, but anyone with an immediate concern is urged to submit their comments in writing to Wesselhoft’s office. For more information, call 693-3546.
Dowe's first meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. March 1 in the Legislature building on St. Thomas, while the second meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. March 2 in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix.
Four nominations are on the agenda for the March 1 meeting on St. Thomas:
— attorney general of the Virgin Islands, Department of Justice: attorney Vincent F. Frazer;
— Department of Tourism commissioner: Beverly Nicholson-Doty;
— Department of Property and Procurement commissioner: attorney Lynn A. Millin; and
— Department of Agriculture commissioner: Dr. Louis E. Petersen.
Another four nominations are on the agenda for the March 2 meeting on St. Croix:
— Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs commissioner: attorney Kenrick E. Robertson;
— Department of Human Services commissioner: Christopher E. Finch;
— Department of Labor commissioner: Albert Bryan Jr.; and
— chief negotiator for the Office of Collective Bargaining: attorney Jessica Gallivan.
Anyone interested in giving testimony on these nominations is asked to contact Sen. Dowe’s office at 693-3572 and speak with Grethelyn Piper, chief of staff, or Carolyn Stokes-Smith, chief researcher.
