The Virgin Islands Police Department has launched a new electronic citation system in a phased rollout, officials say, which will modernize traffic enforcement, reduce paperwork errors, and hold violators more accountable.
The eCitation system allows officers to issue moving and parking violations using laptops instead of traditional handwritten carbon-copy tickets. “This initiative is a critical step toward improving road safety, increasing enforcement efficiency, and ensuring greater accountability for traffic violations,” the department stated in a press release Monday.
The move comes amid a rise in traffic-related fatalities. In fiscal year 2024, the territory recorded 5,037 motor vehicle crashes and eight fatalities. So far, fatalities have increased in fiscal year 2025, underscoring the need for stronger enforcement tools, according to the department.
The system captures driver and violation information digitally. Officers can scan a driver’s license, auto-fill citation fields, and print a copy on the spot for the driver. The citation is simultaneously stored and transmitted to the Attorney General’s Office and then to the courts. Once the citation is resolved, the final disposition is automatically returned to the system, the press release stated.
The implementation is being carried out in three phases. Phase 1 began April 15 with a pilot group of VIPD traffic officers. Phase 2, starting soon, will expand the system to all officers across the U.S. Virgin Islands and include training. Phase 3 will equip officers from other law enforcement agencies in the territory, the release stated.
The VIPD said the system will reduce errors, speed up the judicial process, and improve the effectiveness of traffic enforcement. This streamlined process will hold drivers more accountable, reduce delays, and increase the effectiveness of enforcement, ultimately making our roads safer for everyone, it said.
More information is available at www.vipd.vi.gov.
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