July 8, 2007 — On the job for just two weeks, Deputy Police Commissioner Darren Foy, 38, was quick to pinpoint the top crimes on St. John.
"Drugs and burglaries," Foy said.
He calls them crimes of opportunity.
The biggest problem facing the Police Department on St. John is the staffing shortage. It is hard for the department to find people who want to serve as police officers, Foy said.
"If we had more officers, we would see a decline in crime," he said.
The staffing problem is particularly acute at the Coral Bay substation, where officers are not on duty during the overnight shift.
"But we'll address that issue," Foy remarked.
In response to allegations by residents concerning police officers who don't respond when called, he said he will deal with those officers.
He plans to work on improving camaraderie within the Police Department and with the St. John community. He's aware that it appears the police aren't "doing what they're supposed to do." Part of his job is to help solve that problem. He urged residents to call him if they have any questions.
He decided to become a police officer because it was a challenging job.
"I like to interact with people," he said.
Foy has worked his way through the ranks. He first worked for the Police Department during the summers of 1989 and 1990 as a clerk in the Juvenile Bureau. In 1991, he graduated from the University of New Haven in West Haven, Conn. with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a law enforcement administration concentration. After working four months as a security officer with Corporate Risk Concepts in New Haven, he returned home to St. Thomas in 1992 to join the Police Department.
He worked at the various zones on St. Thomas and St. John, and went on to work as a special federal officer with the Safe Streets Task Force. He's also worked as a forensic detective and training instructor. He was promoted to sergeant in February.
In his 15 years with the Police Department, Foy received training at various off-island institutes, including the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Foy grew up on St. Thomas. He attended All Saints Cathedral School before graduating from Charlotte Amalie High School in 1987.
When he's not on the job, Foy spends time with his three sons, Jelani, 15, JeQuan, 10, and D'Moi, 3.
He's an avid baseball and softball player who plays in the AA Baseball League and the Governmental/Sentill Softball leagues. He's also the manager of his sons' Little League and Big League teams.
Deputy Police Commissioner Darren Foy can be reached at 693-8880.
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