SENIOR MINISTER AMORY COMMENDS 34 NEW GRADUATING POLICE OFFICERS

Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 19, 2018 (SKNIS): The manpower executing security operations of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force during the Christmas and Carnival Season in the Federation has been increased following the agency’s 41^st Graduation Ceremony held on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.

The thirty-two male and two female recruits of Course 42 were congratulated by Senior Minister, the Honourable Vance Amory, who delivered the feature address at the graduation ceremony on behalf of Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, who could not attend due to the ongoing Budget Debate in the Federal Parliament. The Passing Out Parade, as it is popularly known, was held at the Police Training Complex.

Senior Minister Amory said that a strong national security infrastructure is necessary to support the ongoing roll out of the government’s prosperity agenda.

“If we do not have the benefit of peacekeepers, which ensures that there’s tranquillity and stability, then all of our other efforts to invest, to create jobs, would be difficult,” he said. “We are aware that there are challenges which will [test] you young recruits but I believe with the training you have had that you will be able to rise to the occasion and overcome the challenges.”

The government, under the leadership of Dr. Harris, has made the maintenance of law and order a top priority. A record budgetary allocation of $79.9 million for the Ministry of National Security was passed in the National Assembly on December 18. The funds will be used to finance the ministry’s operations as well as its plans and programmes for the 2019 fiscal year.

“The Team Unity Government has spared no efforts in seeking to build the capacity of the police services in St. Kitts and Nevis … ” Senior Minister Amory said.

A significant number of resources have also been spent to increase detection rates in solving crime through various means such as the construction and commissioning of a new Forensics Lab at Tabernacle and the completion of Phase One of the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system.

The Senior Minister also reflected on the extensive class work and the rigours of the field work during the six months of training that the recruits went through and said: “This new knowledge and expertise should enable you as new recruits to meet the present and the future needs of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and also our visitors as far as their safety and security are concerned.”