Oct. 16, 2007 — VIPD Commissioner James McCall addressed the League of Women Voters Monday at Pilgrim Terrace restaurant during the groups' first general assembly luncheon under new president Eleanor Cerge.
"Part of our mission is to use our organization to keep the community's most vital concerns at the forefront of public discussion, and provide the territory's leaders with the kind of suggestions and feedback they require to best serve the community." Cerge said, according to a news release from the V.I. Police Department.
McCall expressed the importance of reestablishing the community's confidence and trust in local law enforcement. "We know that as police officers we work for the community," he said. "We work for you, but without your active support and assistance we all lose. Protecting every resident and visitor in the Virgin Islands is an awesome responsibility, and I am confident that together we will achieve our common goal of a safe and vibrant community."
McCall pointed to the department's successes this year in removing guns from the territory's streets in response to member concerns about the enforcement of the territory's gun laws and the desire to see more done to combat gun-related crime. He also highlighted the joint initiative, spearheaded by Gov. John deJongh Jr., to more effectively pool and utilize local and federal law-enforcement resources. This will target and prosecute people who engage in gun- and drug-trafficking, as well as violent crime in the Virgin Islands.
McCall acknowledged concerns about manpower shortages within the police department. He assured members that recruitment efforts are underway.
"The police department is tapping into the 'CSI' generation and letting young people know that a career as a law-enforcement officer is a much broader concept than it used to be," he said. "We are not just looking for bodies to fill uniforms. We are looking for quality individuals who have the capacity and desire to protect and serve their community."
Cerge expressed gratitude to McCall for taking time to address league members and she expressed solidarity with the department's challenges and the commissioner's goal of achieving safety and security for all the territory's residents.
Notable attendees were former Senate President Lorraine Berry, Sen. Louis Patrick Hill and Deputy Chief Melven Venzen.
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