USVI: What took so long?

U.S. Justice Department investigators will soon begin an extensive investigation of the Virgin Islands Police Department, Police Commissioner Elton Lewis said Friday.

Though he did not give the exact date when the investigation will begin, Lewis said he heard Friday afternoon that the investigators will arrive in the territory soon, adding that he welcomes the inquiry and looks forward to its reports and recommendations.

The federal probe was spurred by a special investigative report published Dec. 30 by The Daily News that detailed 20 years of questionable and illegal uses of deadly force by V.I. police officers.