The Virgin Islands Police Department announces the phased rollout of the eCitation System—an integrated, electronic solution designed to enhance how traffic citations are issued, processed, and shared across the justice system. This initiative is a critical step toward improving road safety, increasing enforcement efficiency, and ensuring greater accountability for traffic violations.
As the agency responsible for enforcing traffic laws, the VIPD is deeply committed to reducing roadway crashes, injuries, and fatalities. In fiscal year 2024, there were 5,037 motor vehicle crashes and 8 traffic-related fatalities across the territory. Alarmingly, traffic-related fatalities are already increasing in fiscal year 2025. This underscores the need for stronger, more efficient traffic enforcement tools—and the eCitation system is a vital part of the solution.
What is eCitation?
eCitation is a digital system that allows peace officers to issue tickets for moving and parking violations using a laptop, rather than writing them by hand on a carbon-copy ticket. For decades, paper citations have been the standard, but they come with several significant drawbacks. Paper citations are susceptible to errors and can be lost, damaged, or misfiled, resulting in gaps in records and added administrative burdens. These issues often lead to drivers not being fully held accountable for their offenses, which weakens the effectiveness of traffic enforcement and undermines public safety.
What eCitation Does:
The eCitation system electronically captures driver and violation information, enabling peace officers to scan a driver’s license and automatically populate the required details, reducing typing and minimizing errors. After the information is collected, a digital citation is instantly created and printed for the driver, while digital copies and a record of the driver’s offenses are stored. The system updates the citation data status in real time, allowing key justice partners such as the Attorney General’s Office to quickly review and authorize the citations. From there, the data is seamlessly transmitted to the Courts and once the citation is resolved, the final disposition is sent back from the court system to the citation systemPhased Approach to Implementation.
The eCitation Project is being launched in three carefully planned phases to ensure a smooth transition and long-term success. Phase 1 began on April 15, when a select group of VIPD traffic enforcement officers started using the eCitation system to test and subsequently issue tickets for moving and parking violations. Phase 2 which will begin shortly will expand the system to all VIPD officers across the U.S. Virgin Islands. During this phase, comprehensive training will be provided to ensure that all officers are proficient in using the eCitation system. Phase 3 will involve training and equipping peace officers from other law enforcement agencies throughout the territory to use the eCitation system.
The transition to the eCitation System will significantly enhance road safety by improving the accuracy and efficiency of traffic enforcement. By providing immediate access to citation data for the Attorney General’s Office and then the Courts, the system will strengthen legal proceedings, ensuring consequences for traffic violations. This streamlined process will hold drivers more accountable, reduce delays, and increase the effectiveness of enforcement, ultimately making our roads safer for everyone.
For more information visit the Virgin Islands Police Department’s website at www.vipd.vi.gov
St. Croix Source
Local government, Police & Courts
