The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) has achieved compliance with the federal consent decree that has governed core policing reforms since 2009, Governor Albert Bryan announced.

The consent decree stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice in 2008 and was entered by the District Court of the Virgin Islands in 2009. 

It required the department to implement sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening constitutional policing standards.

Bryan described the milestone as a significant achievement under his administration.

“This is a monumental achievement, and the people of the Virgin Islands should understand what it represents,” Bryan said. 

“We stayed the course to make sure VIPD’s systems are strengthened and sustained, so our community can have confidence in the work of the men and women in blue. This ultimately improves public trust and strengthens support for VIPD, which directly supports safer neighbourhoods across our Territory.”

Under the court-supervised agreement, VIPD was required to strengthen policies and oversight in areas including use of force, supervision, internal investigations, public complaint intake and resolution, risk management and accountability. 

Compliance confirms that those standards have been implemented in daily operations and sustained over time.

Police Commissioner Mario Brooks said the achievement reflects years of internal reform.

“Compliance reflects a department that has built durable systems,” Commissioner Brooks said. “It shows that our standards for supervision, documentation, review, and accountability are operating as required and can be sustained.”

Bryan noted that VIPD’s compliance follows progress by other agencies, including the Virgin Islands Department of Labor, which was removed from a federal high-risk designation related to workplace safety oversight. The Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission was also removed from a high-risk designation by the Justice Department, restoring full access to key federal public safety grant funding.

He also pointed to continued reforms within the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections, including court action terminating medical care provisions of the John A. Bell facility settlement agreement, while other requirements remain under review.

The consent decree required VIPD to strengthen how it prevents, reviews and addresses uses of force, including clearer policies, stronger supervisory oversight, improved investigative quality control and systems to identify patterns of concern early.

It also mandated an accessible public complaint process with defined procedures for intake, tracking, investigation and resolution.

Bryan said the milestone reinforces professional standards across the Territory.

“Compliance is not a finish line. It is a standard,” he said. “Our expectation is constitutional policing, professional service, and accountability every day. We are proud of the public sector employees who did this work, and we are proud of the officers who continue to serve with professionalism and commitment.”

He credited VIPD personnel, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice and the independent monitoring process for verifying the implementation and sustainability of reforms.