Police have launched the second recruitment drive of the year as the service bids to bolster numbers with Caymanian officers.
Police said they want to increase homegrown representation because they already had valuable knowledge of the communities they served and could help build “public trust and confidence”.
Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks said, “This year’s second local recruitment campaign is your opportunity to be part of a professional, modern police service committed to protecting our islands and our people.”
He told potential recruits, “My journey in the RCIPS has been rewarding and exciting; a career filled with purpose, challenge, and pride. Now, I invite you to join us and be part of the RCIPS.”
Recruitment advertising has been increased across domestic media platforms, and the process will also include an “open house” where people can meet serving officers and explore career options available.
Requirements to join the RCIPS
Candidates must be Caymanian, aged between 18 and 40, have no criminal convictions and applications must be submitted by 14 June.
Police said potential officers would face a six-stage selection process.
They will also have to meet basic fitness levels and that applicants would have to take a beep test, timed runs between two points with shorter and shorter intervals as the test progressed.
Successful recruits will be deployed after a 22-week training course and then join front-line service for a two-year probationary period.
They can apply for specialist roles in community policing, criminal investigations, traffic, financial crime, intelligence, firearms response, air operations, safeguarding, as well as other units.
More information on recruitment can be found at www.rcips.ky/newrecruits.
Staffing shortage
Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton said last September that the police service was understaffed by 26 officers.
He highlighted he had been forced to move officers between districts and disrupt community policing to fill the gaps.
Walton added at the time that service strength was at the same level as it was in 2008, although the population had jumped by more than 32,000 from 56,000 to in excess of 88,000.
A soft hiring freeze was also imposed last autumn across government, including police, until the end of 2025 as part of a government drive to cut costs.
Parliament last November approved a $15 million increase in the budget for police, the coast guard and the Cayman Islands Regiment to $74.3 million.
Walton told a sitting of the Finance Committee at the time that he expected to take 45 more staff, which will allow for 15 front-line shift officers, 11 community police officers and six traffic officers, as well as three constables on Cayman Brac.
He added another 10 people would be added to the specialist Financial Crime Investigation Unit.
The service at the time had 375 officers and 101 police support staff.
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