CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Police foot patrols went the way of the horse and buggy just before World War II.
With the advent of cheaper vehicles, police forces across the United States were able to go “high tech” with law enforcement covering wide swaths of their cities in their vehicles.
But the personal touch is always the right approach, whether you are a doctor, a politician or a nurse. So it came as a surprise to no one that police foot patrols have come back in a big way on the island of St. Thomas.
St. Thomas-St. John District Police Chief Steven Philip and Deputy Police Chief Ritchie Valazquez lead from the front last weekend, patrolling the Main Street and waterfront business district of St. Thomas and talking to store owners face-to-face.
“This is part of the revitalized business district presence,” Chief Philip said.
Philip and Valazquez made their rounds on foot and let merchants know in person that law enforcement and safety in the territory is job one.
