Oct. 3, 2007 – Nearly 100 people huddled over booklets Wednesday answering questions on a two-hour test to become a Virgin Islands police officer. The testing was held in two shifts at the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute’s auditorium as part of the routine quarterly testing offered by the Virgin Islands Division of Personnel. But this quarter, there was a twist.
Many of those taking Wednesday’s test had flunked it weeks before, and returned newly armored to ace the exam, thanks to a first-ever ever program launched by the deJongh administration.
After only 80 of 280 test takers managed to pass the previous quarterly exam, a collaboration was formed with the Department of Education, the Police Department, the University of the Virgin Islands and the government’s Personnel Division designed to bolster test-taking skills of hopeful applicants to boost recruitment. The four entities joined together to offer test skills training to interested candidates.
“That helped a good much,” said Iba Matthews who had taken the review course and returned Wednesday to try again. “It was easier than before when I took it the last time. I was more familiar with the stuff – I suppose I assume I did well on the test.”
Kenneth L. Hermon Jr., the V.I. director of personnel, said his department will see how many people repeated Wednesday’s test, and if their scores indicate the review session was successful, it may become a staple offering.
“This is the first time…that we offered a test-taking skills class to the general public said Hermon. “The administration is serious about curtailing criminal activities in the VI.”
Currently, 100 vacancies exist in both the St. Thomas and St. Croix police departments, which if filled, would boost their rolls by one-third. In addition to current vacancies, more are anticipated, according to Hermon, who said 70 percent of the current supervisory officers are retirement eligible.
Of the 80 candidates who passed the previous exam, only 14 made it to the recruit stage. Hermon said some are disqualified during the background check, some during the psychological screening, and the bulk are tossed off the list when they fail the agility training – prompting a message to Wednesday’s test takers.
“Get to the gym, get to the track, start doing some agility exercises,” said Hermon.
Test results should be known within two weeks.
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