The 69 new police officers who graduated from course 49 on Thursday have been charged to execute their duties in a professional and proficient manner.

Commissioner of police Atlee Rodney told the officers that Antigua and Barbuda demands competent police officers and dedicated fire fighters, and a lot is expected of them.

“As you prepare to hit the road, I urge you to focus on what you have learnt and be prepared to apply it. But as you do so, constantly serve the public with our six core values in mind, professionalism, integrity, honesty, leadership, partnership and service.”

He adds that the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda will continue to be committed to providing training at all levels, all in an effort to meet the demand of the job and to keep “our” community safe and secure.

Sixty of the officers will be assigned to the police department and nice to the fire services.

They underwent six months of intense training at the former U.S. Navy base, now an open campus of the Sir Wright F. George Police Academy.

Training was undertaken in various aspects of policing, including criminal law and customer service.

The officers were also allowed to participate in various special tactical operations involving multiple searches and the execution of search warrants.

This resulted in exposure in recording caution statements and interviews from alleged offenders.

These exposures allowed the special constable to reinforce and clarify the theoretical aspect of training.