WITH the police service set to triple recruits in fiscal 2024, the Opposition is dissatisfied that allocations for both training and the Police Academy have not also increased to accommodate this.
Its members expressed these concerns on Monday during a standing finance committee meeting in Parliament.
In the 2024 budget presentation, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that the usual annual intake of 300 recruits would increase to 1,000. This, he said, would be in efforts “to bring the service back to full strength.”
Overall, a total of $2,937,923,200 was allocated to the police service.
The 2024 draft estimate of expenditure lists an allocation of $1,360,000,000 for salaries and cost of living allowance – a $290,000,000 increase from fiscal 2023.
Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal asked if this was owing to outstanding backpay or if it was facilitating the increase in recruitment. National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said the payment will be made to regular and special reserve police, as well as public servants.
Moonilal asked for clarification that the increase was not a “provision for increased manpower.”
Hinds replied, “We are not increasing the manpower...the establishment as such...
“What will happen in 2024 is that where typically, we recruit about 300 persons (sic) for the year, in light of the demands of the national community and the circumstances that burden us – crime and criminality – we have decided to put things in place in 2024 to recruit 1,000 persons rather than the 300 that would have been recruited and trained.”
He added that the resources to recruit more officers and pay them will be “found across the board.”
Hinds said Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher told him the police recently received additional uniforms “which would meet the needs of the service even in the context of the recruitment.
“Any additional expenditure that would flow from this, we would treat with it through the Ministry of Finance.”
Naparima MP Rodney Charles said the estimate for training for fiscal 2024 is $2.5 million – the same as 2023. Charles asked how this would work.
“Why did we not anticipate and add an additional figure?” Charles asked.
Hinds said the police have a “very healthy training plan” as it considers training to be “critical to the organisation’s success.”
He listed some training courses such as accident reconstruction, crime investigation, anti-kidnapping and human trafficking and gang investigations.
Charles later addressed the allocation for the Police Academy, which is the same as 2023 – $8.5 million.Reiterating he is concerned owing to recruits increasing, Charles said, “And we supposed to accept that!”
Hinds said he gave a “thorough explanation” earlier in line with “sound government policy.”
In the budget presentation, Imbert said officers would be trained at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre and, after school hours, at schools in the interim while the police academy is expanded.
Hinds said the academy only handles a “limited nu
