Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, & Public Safety

Please be advised that the 35th Legislature’s Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, & Public Safety has scheduled a legislative committee hearing for 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 9, 2023, in the Cleone H. Creque Legislative Conference Room on St. John. This is an in-person hearing.

The agenda is as follows:

BLOCK I
10:00 A.M.

Bill 35-0175 An Act amending Title 23 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 11, relating to emergency communications during an emergency and major disasters by adding a subchapter II establishing an Auxiliary Communications Unit within the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency and providing an auxiliary communications resource to any department agency and autonomous or semi-autonomous instrumentality of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

Invited Testifiers:
Mr. Reynaldo Bess, President, St. Croix Amateur Radio Club
Mr. Fred Kleber, Manager, American Radio Relay League
Mr. Reynold St. Louis, Retired 1SG, Virgin Islands National Guard
Ms. Celia Kalousek, Board Member, Voluntary Org Active in Disaster
Mr. Steve Deblasio, Assistant Director, VITEMA

Bill 35-0086 An Act amending Title 3, V.I.C., chapter 1, section 10h to require background checks for all IT personnel and employees of the Bureau of Information Technology, agencies that have data centers, and any employee who handles confidential information.

Invited Testifiers:
Mr. Rupert Ross, Director, Bureau of Information Technology
The Honorable Ray Martinez, Commissioner, V.I. Police Department
Mr. Steve Deblasio, Assistant Director, VITEMA
Mr. Carlton Dowe, Executive Director, V.I. Port Authority
Mr. Andrew Smith, CEO, V. I. Water and Power Authority
Ms. Regina Petersen, Administrator, V.I. Judiciary
Mrs. Kurell Sheridan, Executive Director, V.I. Legislature
Ms. Cindy Richardson, Director, Division of Personnel

Bill 35-0131 An Act amending Title 3 V.I.C., Ch. 15 to establish a “Real Crime Center, Centralized Crime Data System within the Virgin Islands Police Department”.

BLOCK II
2:00 P.M.

Public Safety Update: This update intends to provide an overview of and security on the island of St. John. Officials and community members have been invited to provide testimony in order to facilitate a constructive and collaborative discussion in light of recent criminal activity reported in St. John.

Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Ray Martinez, Commissioner, V.I. Police Department
Mr. Bob Malacarne, President, St. John Rescue