Civilian workers at the V.I. Police Department’s Patrick Sweeney Headquarters on St. Croix refused to work Friday because of the building’s condition.
According to Frederick Joseph, president of the United Steelworkers Union, the "deplorable conditions" prompted the action, which shut down the motor vehicle bureau for the day and kept people from obtaining police reports and other documents.
The building has no running water or air conditioning and is plagued with rodents, Joseph said.
Police Commissioner Franz Christian said service at Patrick Sweeney Headquarters will resume at 8 a.m. Monday. But Joseph said the union will assess the problem then and make a decision on whether the civilian staff will return to work.
"For weeks the employees have been complaining," Joseph said. "The employees can no longer take it."
"It’s not a case of a sickout. It’s a case of the conditions are deplorable," he said.