ST. CROIX — Residents will have an opportunity to freely question the police commissioner and attorney general in a community space during two town hall meetings focused on crime scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday on St. Croix.
WTJX, the Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System, is holding the town hall meetings Tuesday at the Rotary West building in Frederiksted and Wednesday at the Florence A. Williams Library in Christiansted, according to a WTJX news release.
In addition to Police Commissioner Mario Brooks and Attorney General Gordon Rhea, the town halls will include participation by Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion and Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner H. Nathalie Hodge.
Brooks, the former assistant police commissioner who has led the VIPD as commissioner for about five months, said he wants to work toward a safer and stronger Virgin Islands.
“I look forward to updating the community and providing an opportunity for residents to get to know me better as I’ve taken on the role of commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department,” Brooks said in a statement. “Transparency, communication, and community engagement are key priorities for me, and I am truly excited to share some of my plans and expectations for the future of the department.”
The town halls create an opportunity for residents and the territory’s highest law enforcement officials to interact in open dialogue.
“I was moved to hold these town halls as it continues to be heartbreaking for us as a media organization to consistently report on violent crime, burglaries, home invasions, and other crimes,” Tanya-Marie Singh, WTJX CEO, said in a statement. “I believe our residents deserve an opportunity to be heard.”
Although WTJX operates a television station, Singh said there will be no video recordings of the town hall meetings.
“This is purely WTJX acting as a convener,” she stated. “We want people to speak their minds without fear of having their faces and opinions broadcast or streamed.”
WTJX is hoping that community members take advantage of this opportunity to become engaged and voice their concerns. After holding the town halls, Singh said she will meet with Brooks about the possibility of similar town halls on St. Thomas and St. John.
