We will not accept any corruption in the RVIPF — Vanterpool

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) is cracking down on corruption within its ranks to rebuild public trust and ensure accountability.

“We will not tolerate or accept any officers who are corrupted in any way to remain in the organisation,” Acting Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool said during a press conference on the territory’s crime situation. She emphasised the commitment of the RVIPF’s Professional Standards Unit, which has been bolstered with additional personnel to handle corruption-related complaints effectively.

The acting Commissioner highlighted that transparency is a top priority for 2025. “The public can rest assured that all complaints of corruption are being dealt with and will continue to be dealt with… We know for a fact that over the years, it did break down the confidence of the police force because they were hearing complaints and they were not hearing what the police were doing.”

Currently, 12 officers have been interdicted with some alred charged and before the court for offences ranging from assault to breach of trust. Detective Chief Inspector Kenrick Davis commended the RVIPF’s internal integrity, explaining that most investigations into officers started within the force itself. “It is the same police officers saying, ‘I’ve seen that. I will not tolerate it, and I’m going to do something about it,’” Davis told the media.