Hinds: Police, Defence Force filling vacancies

NATIONAL Security Minister, Fitzgerald Hinds says the police and the Defence Force (TTDF) are actively recruiting personnel to fill vacancies in their ranks.

Hinds was answering a question in the Senate on March 25.

He listed the number of vacant positions in the TTDF and the police, along with personnel acting in positions in both organisations.

With respect to the TTDF, Hinds told senators that the positions were for commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

The TTDF comprises the Regiment, Coast Guard, and Air Guard. In terms of commissioned officers, there are 158, 83, and 28 vacant positions in the Regiment, Coast Guard, and Air Guard respectively.

For enlisted personnel, there are 832, 37, and four vacant positions in these respective services. Within the entire TTDF, Hinds said there are 150 commissioned officers and 1,033 enlisted personnel in acting positions. He did not provide details of where those positions were.

In terms of the police, Hinds said there are 1,468 vacancies. This number includes 1,342 vacant positions for constables.

He added that 534 police officers are serving in acting positions. Hinds told senators how the TTDF and police have been addressing these issues.

“The TTDF has, for the past two years, enlisted 367 personnel and conducted 24 promotional exercises to meet this shortfall.”

He said the police are meeting their shortfall by recruiting officers, and this included recruiting 1,000 officers this year.

In response to another question, Hinds said the police did not charge anyone for indecent behaviour in January or February. He added that the law defines this behaviour to include indecent attire, performing suggestive dance actions and using profane language.

Hinds said police officers continue to be trained to deal with this type of crime and others. He added that this level of training will result in “more police focus and more prosecutions for the foreseeable future.”

Independent Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye asked Hinds if he was saying the police needed training to identify indecent behaviour as a crime.

“Is that the reason why there have been no prosecutions? No arrests? That they have to be trained first of all?”

Senate Vice-President Dr Mohammed Yunus-Ibrahim advised Thompson-Ahye, “That question has been asked and answered.”

Hinds also said the police continue to work with stakeholders to address the issue of digital gender-based violence and child abuse.

While he could not say how successful those efforts have been at reducing these crimes, Hinds said, “All I do know and can truthfully say is that the existence of this response platform pushes back, averts a lot of the threats and problems caused by the area of crime under our focus here today.”

He added this work by the police and their partners will continue.