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
They can play all the slots they want, but not on govt time!
@ anon 9:34
U blinked didn’t you..you definately missed something we already in a deficit…lol look through the files of CIF for de lil white boy in handcuffs…lol
15 million dollars in overtime is enough to start an entire new force.
15 million dollars for 15 people or for the entire police force?
Did the VIPD sergeant’s letter really state that these 15 men are averaging 70-80 hours a pay period in OVERTIME?
God ahead and cut the overtime. It those rich areas where most of governors campaign donors live will feel the impact. When the crime for the richys get too overwhelming for then de jongh will reinstate the overtime. Watch and see.
all thugz, rapist, drug dealers and theifs make your way to Mafolie, Northside, Fortuna, Botany Bay, Red Hook, Sky line, Petersbourg, frenchmans bay, lime tree, Estate bakaroe, Havensight etc, etc, etc
There is not enough police presence or man power to stop you. Go do your ting.
@ 12:03 & 7:07am
I understood it as the 15 million was department-wide. It is not only SOB that use a huge amount of overtime it is also patrol, investigations and other sections. Overtime is high in other departments too such as corrections, emergency room etc. If you don’t hire people, develop more efficient strategies or negotiate acceptable compromises with the unions overtime will be massive. The people in charge seem to be lackluster in these areas. You can’t celebrate that you have hired 12 police if you have lost 18 and another 20 are about to go. The police department was given money to hire officers they just didn’t get the job done. So we are paying enough money for 200 officers and only have 75 to do the work of the 200. According to payroll documents 70, 80 and sometimes even more hours are worked per pay period.
…and I thank all the officers who do make the choice to work overtime to do their best to protect us. Can you imagine where we would be if the officers chose their time to be more valuable than the time they spend working? I am sure they all would like more time spent with their families, but they get out there and spend it on us.
Thank you officers!
So, how do we get more people to serve the community? Do we really have enough individuals in the territory, or do we need to hire from elsewhere? If we hire from “outside”, how do we insure that they stay?
@ August 3, 20107:58 am
No one should advocate crime or violence but it is sad that sincere action is only taken when certain people are victimized and others are just treated as nothing when they were being killed and victimized all along. Unfortunately the point you made is true, but you forgot to say tourist areas. No need to advocate violence though.
…..and,sadly,those are the ‘apples’ from which to choose.Cut back on overtime or tolerate an increase in crime.
Either way it’s going to be painful.
@ Krista
People have aleays been willing to serve the community. In this community believe it or not many of the top performing entities are volunteers. That shows us. The issue is people get such a run around or face personality issues and who you know challenges that eventually they want no part of it and leave. Once leaders are polictical cronies we don’t get quality leaders who people can work under produce and progress under. Because of this many good people find it hard to come forward. In many instances a good employee is a threat to the heirarchy so they are stifled or otherwised blocked. Virgin Islanders here are even set up and taken out if they are a threat to the good old boys. The solution is find those outstanding leaders put them in place and support them. Create that infrastructure. Build it and they will come.
@ 8:39. I totally agree with you.
Until we the community change who we put at the helm, we are going to have the same crisis over and over. How can we have any reduction in crime is there are so many ties politically between the perpetrators and the ones in charge?
I put this administration at fault. They lost sight of what it means to be a community.
It wasn’t only this administration it has been so for a long time. But I guess you mean collectively our administrations.
IT’S A SHAME THAT POLICE BRASS ARE NOT TAKING FIGHTING CRIME SERIOUS. CRIME IN ITSELF HAS ITS OWN ECONOMY AND STILL GROWING. HE POLICE IN TORTOLA HAS A BOAT AND A PLANE. THE BASIC EQUIPMENT THAT ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE. IT’S A SHAME THAT PUERTO RICO HAS A BLACK HAWK AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DON’T EVEN HAVE A CHICKEN HAWK. COMMISSIONER, DON’T KNOW RULES AND PROCEDURES CHIEF QUERRARD STOP PLAYING POLITICS AND GET TO WORK. CHIEF STAY OFF THE POLICE RADIO AND LET THE COMMANDERS AND LINE SUPERVISORS DO THEIR WORK. YOUR JOB IS TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. AND THE ONLY PROCEDURE YOU DO IS TO MICROMANAGE EVERYONE ELSE’S JOB. LET A MAJOR CRIME HAPPEN AT PETERBORG, OR NORTH SIDE. THEN ALL KIND OF OVERTIME WILL BE SET IN MOTION. BUT LET IT HAPPEN DOWN BELOW, BUSINESS AS USUAL. WHY CAN’T THE ATTENTION OF A MAJOR CRIME TAKE AS MUCH INTEREST AS THAT OF THE YOUNG LADY THAT WAS INNOCENTLY KILLED? BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF TOP BRASS. WHO YOU THINK YOU’RE FOOLING? POLITICS OUTTA STYLE.
They were put there because he who put them there wanted politicians and puppets. Thats politics. They plan to leave the mess they created, put in place another stooge, retire and live happily ever after financially secure. They don’t live Wllliams Delight, Mathew Charles, Tutu or PMP. If you can’t do your job the best bet is to fool people and act like you are doing someone else’s.
Think about this:
Commissioner Elton Lewis obliviously brought James McCall to VIPD under the guise of the ATF say you can have him and we will pay for him to stay there
James McCall manipulated the VIPD made the necessary alliances and replaced Elton Lewis.
James McCall chose VIPD personel Milton Petersen and McFallen as his chiefs told the legislature they were his first choice glided through the legislature
As soon as he was confirmed and imbedded he fired Milton Petersen and McFallen. They were replaced with Fed controlled individuals to include Querrard, Howell and Darren Fahie. Novelle Francis has been an advocate for Feds to get local enforcement powers, one of their biggest agendas so that they cannot be prosecuted in VI courts when they commit crimes. They are not working for the VI. They have effected the dismantlement of the VIPD marine unit and installed their own. There will be no aviation unit unless they control it to use how they want. This is not the BVI or Puerto Rico those people stand up and reperesent themselves, not sell out themselves. Thats the difference.
Luz James is the true Crucian crime fighter not former corrupt police office Kenneth Mapp. Luz knows all about Mapp’s past as a corrupt police officer!
We have all fogotten the big picture the Police is at wits end with all the higher ups who incidentlly forgot that they were once Police officers before they got up in rank. When the average citizen says help, they are not saying Commissioner, Chief, Deputy Chief etc….. they are saying Police. What happen to putting on a uniform, wearing it proud and fight crime??? Those days are over because the Governor has an input as who will be placed in position and who will be left out. We need to band together not as a community but as a whole and say enough is enough!!!!
The Police have been through hell and damnation because they have been humiliated, insulted, attacked and put down time and time again. But in the end we the people are the ones to call “Police, Police help!” They have been through hurricanes and all other disasters it’s then they are the knights in shining armor but after all the hoopla is through, then we forget them. Don’t get me wrong, they have some bad apples in the bunch but where in the world that doesn’t happen. But the ones who truly go out and go above and beyond is not recognize for the hard work they are doing. If the OT is the number one issue, then find the right resources to get more Police on the streets instead of bringing back these retired Police at $95,000.00 dollars for four hours a day that’s right four hours a day out of the retirement homes to create more problems that is killing the Police Department.
Also, when the Governor who gave a misguided performance that the Special Operations is to blame for the incident on Coki Point beach why blame the supervisors who were instructed to create a schedule to save money for Assistant Commissioner Raymond Hyndman and his puppet Americus Jackson salaries is hard to digest. What have they done since they got on the Police force except spray a Police Unit factory new for Americus Jackson while the Police yard is fill to capacity with damaged Police cars that is needed to be on the roads. Then they push their weight around that they are in charge by transferring Police Officers left, right and center. Hummmm that’s why the place can’t get any better than it is right now remember “Money is the root to all evil”
The police department or its bureaus just no longer have a leader. The people demand answers from the governor about the crime and he must accept the blame himself or blame someone else. The PD top brass must accept blame or blame someone else. When dealing with politicians it is always the latter, blame someone else. As a politician you don’t appoint people who are great leaders because you want someone who will just send the sh*& downhill and the people then see the blame as down there instead of where it should be. Its what is presented to the people and they see is where they draw their conclusions. Police officers can’t go and give a press release to tell the public their side of a story (without Authorization). It seems as if the police shortage has been a ten year old problem that consecutive police administrations have failed to correct. Unfortunately some of them who failed are right there to continue failing. Some people relate insanity to doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The police department has been failing from lack of competent commissioners and chiefs for generations. No great white night is coming to save or help the VI. They may come but they will come to help themselves. Police need to just get up get out and get the job done. Get rid of those who hinder or politicize the safety of the community first. Keep in mind less priledged communities are just as important as rich or powerful communities.
The root of the problem within the V.I.Police Department is that it has been riddled with politics for decades and it all started to raise its ugly head way back in the 70s when Commissioner Otis Felix (how many remember that name?) was in command.
As I recall,Commissioner Felix was having all sorts of problems with a certain insubordinate captain (can’t remember name) who thought he could come,go,do and say as he damn well pleased simply because he was of the same political party as Governor King.In an effort to fire this officer the commissioner tried to acquire the authority to ‘hire and fire’….without having to make that request of the governor as was the policy at the time….but was denied.
That case,if memory serves me correctly,may have either gone to court or through some other type of hearing which allowed the officer to resign on his own accord.
At any rate,much of what’s going on in the department today may have had its genesis in the distant past and underscores the urgent need to remove politics from the running of the department and allowing the commissioner to the job for which he was hired.