Aug. 31, 2005 – Deputy Chief Herminio Velazquez, of the V.I. Police Department, said when the community made donations, like that being made Wednesday at Endurance Sports/GNC on St. Croix, the morale of the department goes up.
The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development presented two new bicycles for officers in the V.I. Police Department Bicycle Division. Endurance Sports provided the bicycles at cost. Endurance also maintains all the police department's bikes without charge.
There are four bicycle officers in each Christiansted and Frederiksted. At Christiansted there are eight bicycles; at Frederiksted there are six.
Roger Dewey, executive director of St. Croix Foundation, said this was the final installment in completely replacing the fleet of bicycles for the officers this year. The bicycle patrol has been in operation on St. Croix for half dozen years.
The bicycles were purchased through the V.I. Police Department Fund, which was established at the St. Croix Foundation to provide assistance to the VIPD. For continued and effective support of the VIPD, Dewey urged other community members get involved and donate to the VIPD Fund. He said those community efforts help keep St. Croix streets safe.
The bikes are equipped with racks, bags, kickstands, bar ends, rear and front lights, pumps, bottle cages, helmets, and chain rings. Each bike cost $460 bare and has about $200 of accessories added.
Lt. Mary Duggan said the bike patrols are highly effective because officers can respond quickly to news of a crime and not be caught in downtown traffic. She added the high visibility of the officers also works as a crime deterrent.
Also at the presentation were bicycle patrol officers Juan Concepcion and Paul Frederik.
For more information regarding the St. Croix Foundation's VIPD Fund, contact Dewey at 773-9898.
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