Criminal Justice Jobs in the Islands

Hi Lori.

My experience has been that in the Criminal Justice field most, if not all, of the jobs are "restricted" to those who were born and bred here. This is, again in my opinion, a large part of why there is very little justice for victims of criminals in the USVI. I think your best bet would be to try for something through Homeland Security as they periodically transfer folks from the mainland to the islands.

My process of looking into moving to St Thomas has just begun and have nobody to ask questions. Would you mind terribly?

Lori: Ask away! There is no end to the good advice that this board dishes out! 😀 You might want to start by reading through the Moving Stories (What To Expect) from the home page.

Actually that whole page has info on jobs, apartments, and lots of goodies. Islander is a very busy Islander! 🙂

Lori5575,

What kind of job are you looking for in cj? Police, security, private investigator...? There are opportunities here. let me now your interest?

I just saw your message. Fabulous. I am interested in much - have previously worked in corrections and probation. Will be down in St. T around October 1. All opportunites interest me at the moment as I heard there is not much opportunity. Some avenues to pursue would be great. I've been looking to see how I could locate a job before I arrive. Prefer a job before I arrive as I'll have bills to pay and don't want to go through savings. Thanks!
Lori

Hello Lori,

The VIPD have a website, they used to have a section on the employment page mentioning that residency of a couple years was required but I don't see it there anymore. In any case here is the employment section http://www.vipd.gov.vi/work_with_us/work_with_us.aspx?id=1.

--Islander

Islander:

Thanks - I did send them an e-mail. I appreciate it. I just wonder if I could even obtain the position after seeing dntw8up's message.

Lori

He knows not what he speaks of. For instance, the majority of the lawyers in the Attorney General's office are statesiders. LIkewise the District Attorney office. There are positions available I am sure. There is also a gaggle of lawyers here in STT. Actually I believe we have as many lawyers per capita as Washington, DC. Maybe dntw8up can expound on what he is saying.

RL

Ronnie,

Indeed I would be wrong if by "Criminal Justice" Lori meant "Lawyer" but in fact the field of Criminal Justice typically refers to police personnel, jail staff etc. and it is my understanding that most of those jobs belong to locals. As Islander said, the police website used to explicitly state that as a minimum a prospective employee had to live here for a couple of years before applying and I believe that the reality is much longer.

These days they need as much help as they can get! Case in point the Assistant Commissioner who is here from the states! Within an election year strange things have been known to happen!

RL

Come on Ronnie, do you honestly think Lori is asking about lawyer or Commissioner jobs? Yes, strange things have happened in election years but I doubt that means this year continentals seeking employement in law enforcement will be warmly welcomed by the VIPD et al.

Dear Lori -

My husband inquired about working for the VIPD last year from an ad he found on their website. He has some police experience here and we were/ are job hunting. Last year VIPD was actively recruiting. He telephoned them and found them to be very helpful and receptive to his inquiries even knowing he was living stateside.

He learned that there is an exam given that must be passed to be eligible for the police academy. The study guide can be borrowed from the police department. They would not mail him a copy. I don't know if that has changed, but apparently they didn't want a bunch of the study guides floating around. I can't recall the frequency of the which the exam was given either. I imagine the exam is similar to the entrance given by the NYPD. An example of the NYPD test can be found on their website.

Despite the favorable response he had from the VIPD, it is an avenue he has decided not to pursue at this point. He was kind of discouraged from doing it by a Customs agent we met during our visit. Also, the pay is average for police officers (mid-$30s) in a higher than average cost of living (and he has other skills that would allow him better pay). He may consider it again after we have relocated (knock on wood) ...

I would certainly give the VIPD a call as they were very helpful and go from there. I would also consider all of the federal branches of law enforcement as they all seem to have a presence there. Although, I understand there is no guarantee of your location. There is new Border Patrol contingent as well.

Best of luck!

May I ask why the Customs Agent discouraged him? Yes - the pay is discouraging! Thanks
Lori

I would be happy to tell you what he said in a private message.

If you read the VI Daily News with any frequency, you'll see that there a few bad apples out there.

I just received a fax listing Dept of Human Services STT/STX vacancies. There was an opening for Correction Officer (STT) ( STX) salary: $24,500, also Correctional Officer Supv (STX) salary of $40K.