Pruce Accused of Interfering in CoP as
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has reportedly rejected Governor Daniel Pruce’s recommendation to revert Acting Commissioner Jacqueline E. Vanterpool to Deputy Commissioner amid an ongoing recruitment for a permanent Commissioner. New reporting from VINO says the PSC’s decision was unanimous; Guavaberry separately reported the commission also rejected the proposal, though the two accounts differ slightly on dates and procedural details. The development deepens a months-long standoff over the CoP recruitment, revives questions about local representation in senior security roles, and follows earlier criticism of the governor for intervening in the process last year.
Governor Daniel Pruce has come under renewed criticism after reports that he recommended Acting Commissioner of Police Jacqueline E. Vanterpool be reverted to her substantive post of Deputy Commissioner while the recruitment for a permanent Commissioner continues. Sources familiar with the matter told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) that the Police Service Commission (PSC) held an emergency meeting on October 13, 2025, and rejected the governor’s recommendation.
Guavaberry reported separately that the PSC convened at the governor’s request on October 14 and had until October 15 to decide; that outlet said the commission delivered an overwhelming, unanimous “No” to removing Vanterpool from the acting post. Both accounts align on the PSC’s reported rejection but differ slightly on dates and procedural details.
VINO’s updated reporting adds that the PSC’s rejection was unanimous and that Mr. Pruce, a United Kingdom-appointed governor, recommended Vanterpool be reverted with immediate effect. Pruce praised Vanterpool as doing an “excellent job” a few months ago, he now appears to be seeking her reversion for reasons the governor’s office says it will not discuss.
A Governor’s Office spokesperson told reporters, “we don’t comment on speculation on HR matters,” and reiterated Mr. Pruce’s stated priority from his swearing-in speech that the governor is responsible for the “security of the people of the Virgin Islands.” Some community members and commentators have speculated — as reported by VINO — that Mr.
Pruce may prefer a UK national for the post despite a field of qualified Virgin Islanders and regional candidates. Guavaberry reported that the governor had not named a replacement, telling the PSC he would do so in the coming weeks and that he planned to take his proposal next to the National Security Council (NSC).
The current row recalls an earlier intervention by Mr. Pruce last year, when he blocked the PSC from making a recommendation as its process neared interviews — a move critics and some legal experts described as unlawful. At that time commentators suggested the intervention followed the failure of a favored UK candidate, Pam Trevillion, to make the final shortlist.
Acting Commissioner Vanterpool has led the force for almost a year. Under her stewardship police have reported swift arrests and prosecutions related to a spike in robberies and illegal firearms possession, results that have been publicly recognised by community members and the NSC.
Sources say police morale has improved; Mr. Pruce himself praised Vanterpool months ago as “doing an outstanding job.” Calls to Ms Vanterpool were not returned before publication. The dispute taps into longer-running concerns about local representation in senior security roles. For more than two decades the Commissioner post has often been held by UK nationals; critics argue crime has not improved under that pattern.
The tenure of former Commissioner Mark Collins — a UK national who left amid allegations and without criminal charges — remains contentious. The disagreement also intersects with debate over the Commission of Inquiry and subsequent prosecutions: the CoI found no strong evidence of corruption, yet several related cases have been dismissed or lost for lack of evidence, drawing rebukes from leaders such as Bishop John I.
Our newsroom has contacted the Governor’s Office for further comment and awaits a response. The PSC’s reported unanimous rejection leaves the recruitment process in limbo and continues a broader conversation in the Virgin Islands about the rule of law, good governance and local leadership in the police force.
Primary source: VINO