Governor vetted RVIPF officers unilaterally – Premier
The vetting of officers in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) was done without the input of the National Security Council or the Police Service Commission, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley revealed during a government press conference on Friday.
2025-05-13 20:16:33 - VI News Staff
Premier Wheatley stated that Governor Daniel Pruce exercised his constitutional authority to begin vetting law enforcement officers, but he did so “unilaterally”.
“I just want to make it very clear, extremely clear, that the action that was taken as it pertains to vetting was unilaterally done by the Governor,” Dr Wheatley stated. “The National Security Council did not have a decision as it pertained to that. And I don’t believe, actually, the Police Service Commission had a role in that [either].”
Although the move was within the Governor’s constitutional powers, the Premier signalled that concerns remain regarding privacy rights and the scope of the vetting process. “Of course, there will be concerns because the Constitution provides persons the right to privacy,” he explained. “And I and others, certainly Honourable Kye Rymer, National Security Council, and others have expressed concern about the level of intrusion.”
He added that the Police Service Commission also raised questions, which had not yet been resolved. “We’ll seek to see if some of those questions can still be resolved that we have as it pertains to vetting,” Premier Wheatley said.
Governor Pruce confirmed during a separate press conference that the vetting process began on Thursday, describing it as a step toward ensuring public confidence in the police force. He said the measure aligns with broader reforms following the Commission of Inquiry recommendations.