EXCLUSIVE: USVI’S FIRST FEMALE POLICE CHIEF TALKS FAITH, FRAGRANCES & BEING FEARLESS
St. Thomas-St. John District Chief of Police Deborah Hodge is applauded during her swearing in ceremony on Aug. 5 on St. Thomas. Photo courtesy of Virgin Islands Police Department/Facebook.
“The Lord is my Sheperd, I shall not want,’” Deborah Hodge easily recites the nine opening words to the 23rd Psalm, telling me they have been her “go-to quote forever and ever.”
It is a fitting motto to live by, given her line of work, and is one of many nuggets the recently sworn-in St. Thomas-St. John District police chief dropped during a late-morning telephone interview last Monday. There, she opened up about her life, both on and off-duty, and her general plans to successfully discharge the duties of her historic appointment.
In a measured, almost soft-spoken tone, Ms. Hodge admits she is “still processing this honor,” when asked what first came to her mind after learning she would be the first woman in USVI history to hold the Chief of Police title.
“I know that it comes with a great sense of honor and pride, and at the same time, a great sense of responsibility,” she says. “I know I have a lot of work to do, and I can’t let my people down, my family down, the people down, and of course, myself.”
The mother of five and grandmother of five, who had been serving in an acting capacity in the role since Dec. 31, 2024 until her official swearing in on Aug. 5, says becoming a police officer was hardly on her radar early in life, although she knew she was interested in work that would allow her to help others.
“When I first started, I honestly didn’t even think that I wanted to be a law enforcement officer, but I always saw myself in a career where I would be helping others or working with people,” she explains.
And after 30 years, that desire to help others hasn’t changed. In 1995, she began her rise through the ranks of the Virgin Islands Police Department—serving and protecting her community—as a uniformed patrol officer on St. Croix, a position she held for the first six years of her career. She spent the next 16 years helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as part of the department’s Domestic Violence Unit. She would later transfer to St. Thomas in 2017, taking on the role of commander of the Criminal Investigations Bureau and in 2020, she was promoted to territorial commander of the Economic Crimes Unit, until her appointment to being the top cop in the St. Thomas-St. John District late last year.
As chief of police, Ms. Hodge is responsible for the district’s operations, with oversight of Criminal Investigations, Major Crimes, Forensics, and Domestic Violence. Additionally, the Juvenile Bureau, which has merged with school security, plus the Marine Unit, Special Operations Bureau, and the K-9 Unit all fall under her watch.
“My task is to ensure that these areas are being ran properly, that they are well supervised, and of course, that the men in those areas are provided with what is necessary to provide services to the community,” she explains.
Her Leadership Style
It is not lost on Ms. Hodge the high expectations many have of her. She embraces it and intends to bring her own unique perspective and style to the role, focusing on “trauma-informed” leadership—a path informed by both her academic training in forensic psychology, as well as her years of subsequent training in behavioral and developmental trauma.
STTJ District Chief of Police Deborah Hodge takes the oath of office on Aug. 5. Photo courtesy of Virgin Islands Police Department/Facebook.
“I am big on mental health,” she says. “Generally speaking, I think women bring a balance to things. I intend to utilize this platform of being trauma-informed so that we can recognize the effects of trauma in a person, how they operate or how they behave.”
This strategy, Chief Hodge says, places greater focus on what causes someone to commit a crime and what can be done to possibly prevent crime before it happens.
“I believe that it’s more than if someone commits a crime, you lock them up,” she explains. “I’m more into delving into the behavioral issues they may have or the lack of development they may have that creates the behavior. I know that we are law enforcers, but somewhere in the process we should educate our officers to be more trauma informed so that they can provide trauma-informed care.”
Women Leading In a Man’s World
In the male-dominated world of law enforcement, Chief Hodge says while she hasn’t experienced any issues of disrespect from her officers, she suspects “there would be some reservations by some, especially those that feel this should be a male dominated, not only job, but position.”
With that, she wants to put an end to the harmful myth that women aren’t as physically capable of performing the rigors of careers in law enforcement.
“Any job that is male dominated, there’s this idea that a woman is not physically capable of doing it,” she says. “The myth is that the muscles only come from men. Our training never says, ‘Women, you’re going to do five push-ups and men you’re going to do ten. That’s not how it works for us at the VIPD. The standard is the same.
“We have to qualify on the range, the same as men. We have to take our specified training, whether it’s by law or by policy, the same way men do. We have to jump the same fences, jump the walls, climb through bushes—everything a man has to do, we have to do.”
Work & Some Play, Too
While there’s a lot of hard work involved in her job, Chief Hodge is intentional about carving out time for a little play, too. As the owner of a small, home-based catering business, which she admits has been put on the back burner since her appointment, she enjoys decompressing by baking goodies for her family.
“I get into these obsessive things—and right now, my obsession is sour dough bread. I’ve already purchased everything and I’m just starting my starter dough,” she explains. “I just like to create things.” BTW, I found out that she is “Team Coconut,” but has no qualms about jumping on the guava or pineapple train. She rightly says that it’s all about the quality of the crust, as it should be. If you know, you know.
Chief Hodge also enjoys creating and maintaining a calming environment in her home through aroma therapy.
“I am big on going home to sanctuary,” she says. “So, when I leave, I ensure that my house is in order so that when I come back—you don’t know what you’ll truly encounter when you’re out there—I have to have good aroma in the home. I like nice oils.”
Daily morning exercise with VIPD’s “Bodied by Cadre” also helps keep her mind and body in tip top shape for the job. Classes are free and open to the public at the VIPD training facilities in each district.
Another favorite of hers outside the office is discovering hidden gems around her district.
“I’ve always been a part of these little groups that do hikes and we take walks,” she says. “And what I’ve discovered is several hikes that take you into the most beautiful places. Beautiful beaches and nooks that are breathtaking; after you finish your hikes, you kind of soak in the beaches.”
Some of her top spots to explore on St. Thomas are Peterborg, Black Point, Cabrita Point, the Magens Bay Discovery Nature Trail, and Neltjeburg. She has her eyes set on several other sites to explore on St. John and Water Island, as well.
Personal & Professional Style
Speaking of nice smells and nice things, Chief Hodge’s guilty pleasure is splurging on designer perfumes, and she prides herself on maintaining a professional and classy look, both in and out of uniform.
Chief Hodge describes her off-duty style as chic, classy, and elegant at the same time. Photo courtesy of Deborah Hodge.
“The way you carry yourself is of utmost importance to me and I’m big on smell,” she says. “I spend a lot of money on fragrances. It’s funny because sometimes I can know someone is around because I can smell them, in a positive way. I think it’s important how you smell.”
She describes her off-duty style as “comfortable, yet elegant, chic, and classy but simple, all at the same time.”
As for her work style, she has worn professional suits and shoes as an investigator for most of her career. While she is back in uniform now, she says it is “important to carry yourself in a manner in which you would like to be portrayed.”
She favors wearing her natural hair pulled back from her face for work, but when she gets the chance, she likes to “let my curls loose,” she says.
Inspiration from Vybz Kartel & Psalm 23
Aside from her law enforcement aptitude, the St. Thomas-born/St. Croix-raised Chief Hodge says she wishes she had developed the skill of singing. “I just like to sing,” she says with a soft laugh. “I enjoyed singing for my children. I enjoy the art of it.”
Right now, the song that keeps her motivated on those tough days is Vybz Kartel’s hit single “God is the Greatest,” which she plays on repeat to soak in the ballad’s motivating message. While she opted not to belt out the tune on the other end of the phone, which would have been a welcomed treat, she did read off some of the inspiring lyrics:
Far mi a come from
What a journey
Good thing, God you got me
Satan, yuh fail
Life has meaning
Ghetto yute, keep on believing
And the Lord is around us
Him blessings surround us
Mi nuh care who like me
Mi just a gwaan show love
“It’s not only motivating for me at this time in my life, but for those who might be going through a rough patch to let them know that God is all around you,” she explains. “That motivates me.”
As for her love of Psalm 23, she says the passage keeps her grounded. “I think every one of us, I think as parents, we have experienced ups and downs, whether it’s financial, emotional, or otherwise,” she says. “When I have a dollar in my pocket, I know that God will always provide.”
Leading By Example
Chief Hodge has spent these last few months connecting with local business owners, residents, agency heads, media outlets, and attending town halls—underscoring her commitment to first introduce herself to the public, before she could lead by example.
“I know that I’m not going to please everyone; I know that I won’t have answers for everyone and all their situations,” she says. “A lot of victims out there are grieving their loved ones and, in many instances, we do not have answers, but I can assure them that we continue to work diligently in addressing those cases.”
The thing that keeps her up at night: wondering if she’s done enough or made all the right decisions.
“I search myself often. If I make a decision or I say something, I often double back and I think, ‘did I say the right thing,’” she says. “In this capacity, I think about my day when I go to bed, and I pray to God that I made the right choices. Because once the day is gone, there’s nothing you could do about bringing it back, so I stay up thinking if I did enough for the people.”
It is clear Chief Deborah Hodge’s heart is in the right place, and we suspect she will do the very best she can for the people. The advice she offers the next generation of female law enforcement professionals is a good indication.
“Law enforcement is not just about car-chasing or arrests and having a firearm on your side—things you see on TV,” she says. “It’s about protecting people and solving problems. You’re in school and you’re good at problem-solving, and you probably wonder, ‘How could I use this?’ This is one of those areas in which you can—you know, standing up for what’s right and truly making a difference, not only for yourself, but for others.”
Article updated 11:36 a.m., Sept. 4