St. John Safety Hearing Endures Terse Exchange

A routine Senate hearing on safety issues and emergency response on St. John veered briefly into the danger zone Wednesday afternoon as the police commissioner was forced by subpoena to testify.

A scowling Commissioner Ray Martinez answered questions on police staffing, 911 calls, noise complaints, and security cameras from members of the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety until it came to Sen. Franklin D. Johnson’s turn.

Johnson had derided Martinez at a November hearing where St. Johnians complained about safety hazards on the island. Johnson, using language unusually crude for legislative hearings, said Martinez was avoiding the hearing out of fear of criticism.

“It look like the cowards are the cops. They ain’t have the balls to come inside here today and talk — just even listen to you. But I’m really fed up of keep coming to these hearings and Ray Martinez not showing up,” Johnson said in November. “I’m not going to go to these meetings unless Ray Martinez is subpoenaed.”