Interim Commissioner Absent Again, RVIPF Silent
Interim Acting Commissioner Richard Ullger is reportedly out of the territory again, with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force declining to provide a breakdown of his absences. Local senior officer Jacqueline E. Vanterpool is acting in the role while Governor Daniel Pruce proceeds with a new recruitment process after rejecting the Police Service Commission's recommendation to appoint her permanently.
Interim Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger is once more out of the Virgin Islands, and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has refused to disclose details about the frequency or reasons for his absences. Ullger is away, local senior officer Jacqueline E. Vanterpool is acting in the Commissioner’s capacity.
Vanterpool had been recommended by the Police Service Commission (PoSC) for the permanent post, but Governor Daniel Pruce declined that recommendation and in May 2026 announced Mr. Ullger would remain as interim head while a fresh recruitment exercise is launched. When a reporter asked the RVIPF for a breakdown of Mr.
Ullger’s absences since he took up the post and the reasons behind them, the force declined to provide the information. "I will not provide a breakdown of Mr Ullger's absences. His absences include both official and personal commitments," Police Media Liaison Akia L. The RVIPF’s refusal to detail the interim commissioner’s time away from the territory has prompted questions from residents, civic leaders and some officers about continuity of leadership, transparency and the operational effect on policing.
For many in the British Virgin Islands, steady police leadership is closely linked to public confidence, crime response and community policing initiatives. Vanterpool, a local officer who has stepped into the acting role, will carry the day-to-day responsibilities while Mr. The Governor’s decision to reject the PoSC recommendation and keep an interim commissioner in place until recruitment concludes has already drawn public attention and debate about local representation at the top of the RVIPF.
Officials have said a recruitment process for a permanent Commissioner will begin; details on timing, criteria and whether local candidates will be prioritised have not been publicly disclosed. Community stakeholders and policymakers in the BVI may press for greater transparency around the recruitment timeline and assurances about operational stability during the interim period.
For residents seeking reassurance, the key issues are clear: confirmation of who is exercising full command at any given time, assurances that operational policing is unaffected, and a transparent, timely process to fill the permanent commissioner’s post. The RVIPF’s limited comments leave those questions unanswered for now.
Primary source: VINO