Jason K.
Marsh became a member of the Virgin Islands Police Department in July
1996. After graduation from the Police
Academy in February of 1997 (which was the first Housing Police Class), Marsh
started regular rotation as all probationary officers are required to complete.
During rotation, Marsh met Cpl. Denise White who at the time was the Corporal
in charge of the Bicycle Unit. Cpl. White recruited him into the Bicycle Unit
where he became a member while on rotation at the Richard N. Callwood Command,
Zone A. His rotation continued
throughout the different zones to include St. John where he also became a
member of the bicycle patrol. After
Marsh finished his rotation, he was assigned to Zone A, and became a permanent
member of the Bicycle Unit. While in the
unit, he traveled to many Caribbean Islands and rode with their
departments. The unit also went to West Palm
Beach where he also rode with that department for a week. While on bike patrol,
he was responsible for mainly the downtown area, however, the unit covered
areas as far as Havensight going east and Altona going west. Marsh was able to experience his first
version of Community Oriented Policing by being in constant contact with the
many store owners and tourist and built relationships that continue to exist up
to today.
Marsh
served the downtown community for several years before he requested a transfer
to the Special Operations Bureau. His
transfer to the Special Operations Bureau was a different experience compared
to bike patrol. At Special Operations he
received specialized training and continuous training in tactics, building
entry and several other areas. Marsh was
able to be a part of the team in the service of outstanding warrants and many
special detail assignments. After
serving in Special Operations for several years, he requested a transfer back
to patrol so he could continue to broaden his knowledge of policing. He was reassigned to the bicycle unit where
he served for a few more years.
Throughout
Marsh’s career, he was always interested in becoming an investigator. Eventually, he requested a transfer to the
Criminal Investigation Bureau. While in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he
investigated various types of crimes to include rape, robbery, and assault, to
name a few. While working in the
Criminal Investigation Bureau, he became a part of the Major Crime Unit.
During
Marsh’s time in the Major Crime Unit, he attended Homicide Trainings and
Seminars. As a part of the Major Crime
Unit, he was able to investigate several homicides and brought them to
successful convictions. While assigned to Major Crime, in January 2010, he was
promoted to the rank of Police Sergeant.
Marsh worked as a supervisor in Major Crime and was eventually
transferred supervisor of patrol unit at the Richard N. Callwood Command (Zone
A) where he supervised a great squad of officers.
On
December 18, 2011, Marsh was transferred to the Internal Affairs and Applicant
Screening Bureau. During his assignment
at the Internal Affairs Bureau, he attended various trainings to include
Internal Affairs Courses, Interview and Interrogation, and several supervisory
courses. Marsh was afforded the
opportunity to participate in the Use of Force Instructor Training at the
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and became a certified Use of
Force Instructor and attended the Force Science Institute where he became certified
for the program. He also attended the
FBI-LEEDA supervisory courses to include the Supervisory Leadership Institute,
Command Institute, and the Executive Leadership Course which afforded him the
Trilogy Award Recipient. These three courses enabled him to become a better supervisor
and view supervision and management in perspective for the betterment of the
organization.
On
February 6, 2015, while in the supervisory position in the Internal Affairs
Bureau, Marsh was promoted to the title of the Acting Director of the Internal
Affairs Bureau and was the tasked with oversight and management of the Bureau
in both districts. Marsh became the
point person of the Use of Force Work Group and aided in the development of the
several policies to include the departments Force Investigation Team and Force
Review Board.
On June
1, 2016, Marsh was appointed the Police Chief in the St. Thomas/St. John
district where he was in charge of police operations. As Chief of Police, he along with members of
the department organized basketball tournaments and social events for the
officers and the community.
On July
24, 2017, Marsh was appointed the Deputy Commissioner of Professional Standards
where he oversees several areas to include, Internal Affairs, Human Resources,
Planning and Research, Audit and Training.
In
January 2018 Marsh attended the FBI National Academy (FBINA) at Quantico,
VA. He graduated in March 2018 and
became a graduate of Session #271. At
the Academy, Marsh successfully passed classes that included legal issues
affecting law enforcement, leadership classes, fitness, and addressing at-risk
employees in the workforce. This
training along with the various trainings received throughout his career has
allowed him to be a well-rounded individual to aid in the forward movement of
the department. The training at the
FBINA has enabled Marsh and the police department to network with over 200
individuals from various cities and countries throughout the world.
Marsh believes that
one major key to bridging gaps is open communication.