Ahead of this revelation from the governor, Tourism Director Clive McCoy had condemned the video and said the Tourist Board is preparing to do damage control.

Not only has there been condemnation of the video but some have even called for the resignation of Commissioner Mark Collins who seemed to have sanctioned the filming of the production. But it appears the governor, who has portfolio responsibility for the police force, is not prepared to go that far at this time.

“What I do know is that I have made very clear already is that the content in the video was clearly inappropriate and it should not have made its way into the public domain,” Rankin said.

“The fact that it did, the police commissioner has made it clear in his apology in that respect and I accept his apology. Regarding the filming, my understanding is that there were some consultations with the tourism board. I don’t have the exact details of that but if any crimes were committed, that should be investigated but I do not have evidence to believe that is the case. But if the evidence, it should be investigated,” the Governor added.

He also said he does not want the video to distract from what he described as the excellent work and positive contributions the Royal Virgin Island Police Force officers and the Commissioner of Police make every day in tackling crime and making sure the territory is a safe place to live, work, and visit.

Be careful of what is filmed

Governor Rankin further said the lesson from the video is that in the modern age, people must be careful about what they put on video and the perception it might have.

“As soon as something is put onto video and is available electronically, the risk of it becoming widely available is high and the lesson is we must be careful about what we put on video and the Commissioner is looking precisely to that issue as he said in his statement,” Rankin said.

The governor had previously noted he understood the concerns raised over the video and he had spoken to the Commissioner of Police, Mark Collins.

“[The video] was sent to him unedited as a first cut and is unsuitable as a promotional video and therefore will not be used. The Commissioner is looking into how the video ended up in the public domain before it was reviewed and will keep the Governor informed of any developments,” the Governor said.