You can now listen to Antigua News articles!
The latest batch of recruits (Photo courtesy Stratcom)
The latest batch of recruits (Photo courtesy Stratcom)
By Aabgayle McIntosh
Police Commissioner Altee Rodney is optimistic about the latest recruitment drive, indicating that the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda is nearing its goal of attracting new and fresh minds.
He said, “Presently, we have approximately 815 personnel comprising police and fire officers. About 200 are attached to the police and fire departments, and the remainder are regular police officers.”
Rodney explained that having a force with the appropriate ratio to the country’s population is important.
“I think the number 1,000 would give us adequate numbers to deal with all the matters that we have to address. We are stretched. Yes, we have been doing well with the limited resources we have, but in an ideal world, I think if we have at least 1,000 officers to serve a population of 100,000, that would be quite adequate. You need a police force that is in proportion with the population it serves,” Rodney said.
Rodney is also pleased with the assistance the department has received from the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Scheme.
“It’s a good arrangement. We did some of the renovations and installed some of the equipment we needed, and they have stepped forward and assisted us greatly. We are thankful for the management of social security,” Rodney added.
He said the statutory corporation can be assured that the facilities are in good hands.
“We are here taking good care of it. We normally take good care of the facilities we are using. The recruits are trained on how to maintain their surroundings.”
0 Comments