Police Commissioner Vows to Tackle Loitering Across the Virgin Islands

Mario Brooks outlines plans to enforce loitering laws more effectively, emphasizing officer education and stricter measures to address public safety risks highlighted by outgoing Senator Donna Frett-Gregory.

As the new year draws near, outgoing Senator Donna Frett-Gregory urged the new leadership of the V.I. Police Department to clamp down on the territory’s loitering problem, lamenting the apparent lack of enforcement. When Commissioner Mario Brooks appeared before the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for confirmation earlier this month, Ms. Frett-Gregory pointedly asked “how do you plan to address the challenges that we have with loitering?”

A pragmatic Mr. Brooks replied that the VIPD has already identified loitering as an issue requiring immediate attention. “The chiefs and I have had several discussions about that,” he shared with lawmakers. “We're going to revisit that along the lines of educating our personnel to ensure that they understand exactly what the loitering law brings,” explained Mr. Brooks. He agreed with Ms. Frett-Gregory that loitering is of paramount concern, adding that as a police officer, he himself has had to remove individuals from certain areas, particularly in the St. Thomas district.