Special Ops Slashed For “Too Much Overtime”; Police Say Decision Is “Life Threatening”
Union Officials file grievance against change in officer deployment; say decision contributed to deaths at Coki Point
Commissioner of Police Novelle E. Francis
Where do we turn when the police feel threatened?
Last month the members of the Special Operations Bureau (SOB) learned they would now be working in two thinly staffed shifts of seven members each because they’ve generated too much overtime expense as an intact unit of 15.
Police operations officials have said that the decision puts the officers in a “dangerous” and “vicarious” position. And Police union officials have called the decision “life threatening” and have said outright that the decision, and the lack of manpower it provides for this unit, was a direct contributor to the two shooting deaths on July 12 at Coki Point. But, at this writing, the decision stands.
Former Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft's nephew was the beneficiary of selective justice, receiving a suspended sentence for weapons and drug charges.
Crime is out of control. Just last week, Police Commissioner Novelle Francis expressed the outrage of a tortured community after a judge suspended the sentence for former Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft’s nephew after he was busted with assault weapons and drugs in his car. Situations created by gang-type activities and the message sent by the judiciary that crime only carries consequences for those without the right political connections are stoking the fire.
And in the midst of all this, the leadership of the Police Department determined that it was more important to save money than find a way to fund overtime costs for the Special Ops Bureau – the group assigned to perform the major sweeps in attacking the most violent criminal activities.
Instead of this specially trained group operating intact as a unit of 15, they will now be expected to operate as two separate groups of 7 or 8, across two shifts – a prospect that caused one police official to write the following to Commissioner Novelle Francis.
“In the recent past, SOB officers traveling in a group of at least 15 officers have been fired upon on various occasions as we approach housing projects and high crime areas where calls of rapid gunfire from AK 47’s and other high powered rifles are frequent and common,” he wrote in the letter attached below.
“Can we imagine units conducting aggressive patrols in these areas with an average of seven officers?”
Police Benevolent Union (PBA) President Donald Liburd filed a grievance June 22 with St. Thomas Chief of Police Rodney Querrard, outlining the “strong negative and deadly potentials” of the split shift approach and warning that to limit overtime in light of documented criminal patterns and activities would result in a “menacing and death defying work schedule,” for the SOB units.
In a written response on June 30, Querrard wrote, “Members of the PBA… though must realize that we have “over spent” what was identified as monies to pay overtime by millions. A meeting was called by Assistant Police Commissioner Raymond L. Hyndman where All possible remedies to address the overtime situation, and shortage of manpower were looked at and certain changes were recommended and directed by him.”
But according to Liburd, there is a funding source that Querrard and Hyndman refused to address – approximately $1 million for the operation of the SOB Unit from the Tourist Rotating Fund. According to Liburd, this refusal and its impact on the decision not to implement the full deployment of the SOB Unit “resulted in the deaths of two individuals while a retaliatory funeral services was in progress” at Coki Point.
And perhaps most frightening is Liburd’s assertion that if Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. does not take steps to remove several individuals identified in the memo that “the Union would have no other alternative than to instruct its members to avoid unnecessary and unwarranted dangerous situations resulting from (decisions made by) these antiquated and primitive politically appointed police officials…”
If conditions are too dangerous for the police, where does that leave the public?
What happened to all that passionate rhetoric we heard two weeks ago after the Coki Point incident? Where is the coordinated strategy and commitment of resources that are absolutely necessary if any progress is going to be made against violent crime?
And how can the Legislature consider expenditures like $50,000 to sponsor a soccer team in Italy when law enforcement is being cut back for lack of funds?
Self-preservation is the first law of nature. A community that feels unsafe is a tense and dangerous community. The violent crime epidemic and the evidence of infighting inside the organization that is appointed to maintain the public peace only adds to that tension and stress.
But don’t worry. The Administration has launched a pretty new website the explains how they’re fighting crime by giving our youth a chance to write jingles, design posters and win I-Pods.
What other assurance do we need?
AK47/Drug Conviction Gets Probation For Wesselhoft’s Nephew
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It’s about time dummissioner novelle francis make those changes in the police department. Those same sofficers (they are soft) like brooks, enid and others who i heard milk st thomas of OT doing nothing but harrassing that community of law abiding citizens.
Same as over here on Cruz.
Why should OT be paid for riding around burning gas, harrassing good peeps, intimidating people, breaking people arms and of such?…why?
When we can pay our Assistant Commissioner “blotter changing” $95,000 a year plus his retirement and allow him to bring his truck thiefing convicted felon Americus Jackson as an aide back to work and sanctioned by our Governor we have serious fing problems. We worrying bout SOB and lottery? What about the $500,000 he spend on his house? The VIPD will never be good with these thiefs in charge.
I HAVE A QUESTION? is our police commr the part owner of a gas station on st.croix with his family where the police cars are required to get gas? is this a conflict? is this corruption? where are the feds? is the governor aware of this? is he getting a kickback? PEOPLE wake up.
He may be part owner with his brother (who runs One Love gas station), but I always see police cars at Shuama. So much so that it became a running joke with my children when we stop at the light; will there be a police vehicle there or not
Now that the cat is out of the bag why don’t we do something about this horrendous serious situation like getting rid of these politically appointed a_ _ holes who is driving the Police department deeper into the sewer? We got a Governor who is nothing but a “BIG FAT LIAR” trying to cover up lie after lie all the time. We don’t need him running this country and as far as i see it, these islands are lawless so expect the Governor to continue to sell us out for top dollars that was his who intention all along.
The phony Governor only hired Assistant Commissioner Raymond Hyndman (which is suppose to be Commissioner Novelle Francis job as who he want to select as his assistant by the way) as a favor to Senator Celestino White who incidentally had Hyndman white out the Police blotter when his (Celestino) wife attacked Police Officer Chermaine Joseph may she rest in peace with her shoe heel.
Now this bastard who couldn’t run the Police department when he was Chief in his tenure is expected to clean up the now dysfunctional Police department? Has the code of ethics and integrity gone completely through the door that the average Police Officer can’t hold their head up high anymore?
why the person speading rumors and call it house of crystal yours is out of glass STOP molesting peoples children.
Chain of justice is broken a long time ago.