(a) The Department shall exercise general control over the enforcement of the laws relating to public safety, and shall—
(1) administer the fire services, and enforce the laws and regulations pertaining thereto and be responsible for the care and condition of the hoses, hose carriages, engines, and all other property and facilities of such services;
(2) prepare and issue, subject to the approval of the Governor, rules and regulations necessary for the prevention of fires in all places, including, but not confined to, homes, public buildings, hotels, churches, places of public assembly, theatres, schools, hospitals, industrial and commercial establishments, docks, and warehouses, and provide fire safety inspection services for all buildings and facilities including, but not limited to, the annual inspection of all hotels and public residential facilities within the three months prior to the end of each calendar year;
(3) administer a police system providing police service for the protection of persons and property within the jurisdiction of the Virgin Islands;
(4) [Repealed.]
(5) administer, supervise, and enforce the regulations and laws covering the ownership, operation, and control of motor vehicles, and direct and control traffic and supervise and enforce the laws relating thereto;
(6) provide security for all school buildings, property, students, personnel, and materials through a Bureau of School Security established within the Department;
(7) coordinate, supervise, and direct a Police Auxiliary;
(8) [Repealed.]
(9) [Repealed.]
(b) The Department shall prepare the budget for the Department, for submission to the Commissioner of Finance.
(c) Subject to the approval of the Governor, the Commissioner may prescribe fees, not to exceed $1.00 per copy, for copies of any reports, photographs, or fingerprints which are issued by the Commissioner.
(d) The Virgin Islands Police Department shall administer, supervise, and enforce rules and regulations of a school security program. The administrators of the program shall perform such functions as prescribed by the Commissioner of Police in consultation with the Commissioner of Education. The administrators shall have the power to implement, administer, supervise and coordinate all programs and policies to ensure adequate protection of the public schools, property, students, personnel and equipment. Provided that, whenever the Police Department is providing school security at any of the public schools there shall not be any private security guards present performing the same functions. Provided further, that any funds that the Department of Education may save by not having to station private security guards at the public schools, because of the presence of the Virgin Islands Police Department, shall be transferred to the Virgin Islands Police Department to be used to help fund the school security program.