39 MURDERS IN 2026: VIPD COMMISSIONER BLAMES RESIDENTS SHIELDING CRIMINALS

Police Commissioner Mario Brooks told government officials Monday that the territory cannot reduce violence while residents tip off wanted criminals about police movements, provide them shelter, and pursue revenge rather than justice.

At a Government House briefing, Mr. Brooks outlined the VIPD's 90-day crime-surge operation, which has led to multiple arrests and detentions of persons of interest. The initiative will run through the Crucian Christmas Festival season and continue beyond if needed, he said.

Mr. Brooks highlighted a specific obstacle: members of the public have been publicly identifying where traffic control points, surge patrols and special operation teams are positioned while they work. "We are not going anywhere," he said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is tracking 39 homicides in 2026, 17 on St. Thomas and 22 on St. Croix, plus numerous shootings, armed robberies, burglaries and home invasions. The most recent killing was 21-year-old J'Niya Rambaran, fatally shot on Veterans Drive in St. Thomas.

Mr. Brooks stressed that making arrests alone will not stop the bloodshed if communities continue to view retaliation as justified. He said lawful investigation, successful prosecution and incarceration are the only legitimate ways to remove violent offenders from circulation.

"Children are growing up without parents, and more people become victims of violence. This is not justice in any way," he said.

The commissioner also noted that some residents actively help wanted individuals evade capture, including hiding them and arranging their departure from the islands after crimes.

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. signed an executive order Monday requiring executive agencies to identify exterior-facing government cameras and establish secure, real-time VIPD access to them. The system will include cameras at government buildings, public housing, transit hubs, parking facilities and roads. The administration is also inviting voluntary participation from businesses and private owners willing to share their camera feeds with police.

Mr. Brooks cautioned that technology alone cannot replace community willingness to cooperate. "Until the criminal element in the territory has a fear of being seen and being told upon and being turned in, it's going to continue," he said.