An awards ceremony for 100 St. Croix police department officers and staff was held Tuesday in which the VIPD staff were presented with certificates for successfully completing workshops related to tourism. Another 80 St. Thomas officers and staff will be awarded certificates Thursday.
According to Acting Tourism Commissioner Pamela Richards, former Tourism Commissioner Rafael "Rafie" Jackson was the driving force behind the workshops, which dealt with stress management, conflict resolution, customer service and cultural diversity. Richards said Jackson "strongly believed that police officers, as front-line ambassadors and who regularly interact with visitors to our shores, should be trained in communicating effectively, particularly as the territory plays host to visitors from diverse cultural backgrounds."
Richards called the training "an investment in human capital." Also attending the ceremony at the Patrick E. Sweeney headquarters were Mabel Maduro, executive director of the V.I. Tourism Awareness & Advancement Link, which supervised the training, and top police administration.
The St. Thomas officers will receive their certificates at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Palms Court Harborview Hotel.
