After four weeks of training, 62 Special Police Constables joined the Police Force this week and will start work on Monday.
“Let us remember to be professional in everything we do [and]… do it with integrity. Always remember you will be held accountable for your actions,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Elvis Thomas warned the new constables.
So far, 160 polygraphs have been done, the ACP said, “and very shortly, we will be seeing another 200 police officers being polygraphed. This is what it means for us to do our job with integrity. Don’t think that you will run; you will do things under the radar, and it will not be seen.”
According to the ACP, in 2024, the RSLPF saw an increase in police morale and “we’ve also been innovative over the last year.”
“We have commissioned the Department of Road Safety and Traffic Investigations, and we’ve seen 50 new persons being committed to that team. We’ve also seen the rebranding of our Community Relations Branch to the Community Policing Unit. We have also changed the nomenclature of our Drug Unit [to] the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Investigations Unit,” he noted.
“Let us be reminded that there are measures,” he told attendees at the graduation ceremony.
“Last year we came [up] with a plan which focused on crime prevention, with a tripod approach… this year, our main approach will be supervision, oversight and accountability,” he noted.
Moreover, he added, “We are adding three more vehicles to our fleet, and we want to say a special thank you to our honourable Prime Minister and his Members of Cabinet for continuing to provide us with resources… let us ensure the best use of them. It is not for us to do our own [affairs].”
Reflecting on his journey at the Royal Saint Lucia Policing Force, Crime Prevention Minister Jeremiah Norbert observed that “just 15 years ago, March 4, 2010, I graduated from this ground.”
“What we can do as a government is provide the environment that is conducive so that you can go out there and fight crime,” he told the recruits.
“Not too long ago, I heard the prime minister announce that every police officer will be getting a bullet proof vest. I commend the prime minister for seeing it necessary to provide you, the police officers, with the tools that you need to go out there,” Norbert declared.
“I can’t recall how many times I’ve come [here] to attend a handing over ceremony from the time that we’ve been in government. This has become a norm for us as a government to ensure that we provide the police with the necessary resources,” he added.
However, he told the officers, “The responsibility is in your hands.”
“Choosing to become a police officer is a call of service. It is not a job; it is a career. Policing is a way of life; the way you walk, the way you speak, and the way you engage with individuals has to change and has to say that you are a police officer. I would encourage you to go out there and do your best. Temptation lies ahead… do not fall into the cracks,” the minister warned.
The four-week training programme covered areas like traffic management, human rights, case management, teamwork, weapon handling and more to assist the officers in the fight against crime.
Fifty-eight beach rangers were also sworn in at the ceremony and will commence their training on Monday.