Governor Albert Bryan Jr. issued the following statement condemning the practice of celebratory gunfire and praising the efforts of the Virgin Islands Police Department for a recent operation that netted 17 illegal firearms and the arrest of eight suspects on weapons charges:
“There is nothing celebratory about firing bullets in the air and terrorizing peaceful Virgin Islanders attending church or enjoying their New Year’s Eve festivities. As governor, I will not turn a blind eye to this senseless, dangerous and illegal age-old practice and congratulate the Virgin Islands Police for a job well done on its response.
“The success of Operation Eagle Eye is another example of the commitment and bravery of our men and women in the Virgin Islands Police Department and an example of our administration’s continued efforts to beat back the criminal element and remove illegal weapons from our streets.
“Our community is safer this evening because of the leadership of Commissioner Velinor and those brave officers who confronted those suspects and confiscated those 17 illegal weapons,” Bryan said.
The Bryan/Roach administration continues to be committed to transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in government and ensuring the disaster recovery is completed as quickly as possible.
