Governor Pruce reflects on first year in office

Governor Daniel Pruce has highlighted significant strides in governance reforms, security enhancements, and community engagement as he reflected on his first year as Governor in the BVI during a recent interview on JTV.

“When I was sworn in, I set out on that day three priorities for myself as governor, which will extend throughout the whole of my three-year tenure,” Governor Pruce said as he looked back on his first year in office. “The first was security… The second was governance… And then thirdly, more broadly, I have been resolved from the very first day in this job to make my contribution to helping build a better future for the islands.”

Addressing concerns about rising crime in the territory, Governor Pruce stressed the importance of collaboration with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) and other law enforcement agencies.
He highlighted steps taken to strengthen security, including regular meetings of the National Security Council.
“We now meet every week… with the Police Commissioner or Acting Police Commissioner… to look at the situation in the round and consider areas of criminality where we can provide immediate direct support”. Pruce said he wanted to move from being in a reactive mode to being ahead of the curve and being able to be proactive instead.

The Governor emphasised his role in advancing governance reforms, particularly by implementing the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations. He described the progress made in streamlining the criminal justice system.
“One really important piece of work that we’ve now embarked upon is reviewing our criminal rules of procedure to ensure that when a case comes to court, the handling and processing of that case is as efficient as it should be,” he explained.

The UK national also highlighted efforts to improve prison conditions and rehabilitation programmes, including a new carpentry workshop for inmates. “It’s developing that capability so that if someone is serving a sentence, they have an opportunity to consider the circumstances or the issues or the behaviours that brought them to that point.”

In the meantime, Governor Pruce shared his enthusiasm for working closely with the community, emphasising the importance of youth development.
“The talent in these islands amongst young people is so remarkable, it’s so outstanding. But we’ve got to provide opportunities for that talent to find expression and also for young people to discover their talents,” he urged.

Governor Pruce expressed optimism about continuing his work in the BVI as he looked to the future. “I’ve been grateful for the very, very warm welcome that I’ve received here so far. And we look forward to that continuing.”