THOUSANDS of men turned up for the TTPS' recruitment drive in Port of Spain and Marabella on Friday. Many of them said they were there just trying to get a stable job.
The recruitment drive is in line with the announcement by Finance Minister Colm Imbert during the 2023/2024 budget presentation of plans to increase the sanctioned strength of the TTPS this year. Imbert said the annual intake of new recruits in 2024 will be more than tripled from 300 to 1,000.
The opportunity for stable, secure and permanent employment was something many of the applicants said they couldn’t resist.
The drive targeted men between age 18-35 with all applicants required to have at least five CXC passes and a valid driver’s licence.
The advertisement posted on the TTPS’ Instagram page also highlighted the benefits which include meal, housing and cost of living allowances; a free medical; dental and optical services; and paid leave.
Officers on duty at the St James location said some prospective applicants, eager to be first in line, arrived at Thursday night and slept in their cars which were parked near to the academy.
An applicant told Newsday he arrived at 3 am on Friday and met several people already there. Most of the applicants said they arrived before sunrise but said once the process began, it was “smooth.”
Many compared it to the recent recruitment drive by the Prisons Service but said the TTPS process was much better planned and organised. The majority said they were applying because they were seeking stable employment.
One applicant who asked not to be named said he defied his mother’s wishes and signed up because the offer of “fit, stable employment and the benefits” was too good to ignore.
Another applicant said, “Jobs hard to get and it’s an opportunity. It’s a government job and it better than most jobs out there based on benefits and salaries.”
[caption id="attachment_1056180" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Men stand in groups holding their forms as they wait to apply to be police officers at the Police Training Academy in St James on Friday. PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB - ROGER JACOB[/caption]
Isshiah Bonyun and his friend Nathaniel Lee both arrived at around 3.30 am and said they see the job as a way to ensure a secure future for themselves and their family. Both said while they were attracted by the lure of stable employment, they see themselves retiring in the job if they are successful.
“Once we do what is right, stay focused on God and self, keep a positive mindset and follow the books, we should have a lengthy future in (the police service).”
Another applicant said he had also applied to the prison service and plans to send in his resume to the regiment.
“This is about secure employment for me. I plan to participate in the registration for the army, which is later down the line. So this is just a form of back-up so I will just have a secure future for myself. I’m just looking to secure my future and my family’s future.”
RETRENCHED MAN TRIES HIS LUCK
Asked why he applied, Majeed Mohamed sa
