A member of the VIPD’s K-9 unit, Emo, showed how he apprehends suspects during a demonstration at JESS as part of Police Week festivities.
Students on St. John got a first hand look at the V.I. Police Department’s K-9 unit last week.
As part of the territory-wide celebration of Police Week last week, VIPD officers took six police dogs to Guy Benjamin and Julius E. Sprauve Schools on Thursday, May 19.
After hosting a demonstration at the Coral Bay elementary school in the morning, the officers and dogs made their way to JESS for an afternoon show in the Winston Wells ball field.
Students packed the bleachers at the band stand and the walkways overlooking the field as officers demonstrated the impressive obedience of the VIPD’s trusted K-9 unit. Students also watched as one of the police dogs apprehended a volunteer dressed in a protective vest.
Other events hosted as part of Police Week included a meet and greet at the Lucinda Millin and Queen Louise Homes for the elderly on St. Thomas and an open house at the Wilbur Francis Command in Frederiksted, St. Croix.
The week-long celebration of police is a fitting time to thank the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep the community safe, Governor John deJongh explained while officially proclaiming the week.
“The members of the VIPD play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of this community,” according to the governor’s proclamation. “It is important that all citizens recognize and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards, and sacrifices made by the members of the Police Department; police officers serve the people of this territory by safeguarding life and property, by protecting others against violence and disorder, and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression.”
“The men and women of the Virgin Islands Police Department unceasingly provide a vital public service,” according to the proclamation. “Those officers, by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities, have rendered a dedicated service to their communities and have established an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens.”