2017 RCIPS Recruit Class Begins Training

Yesterday, Monday, 9 January, the 2017 RCIPS Recruit Class began training with six new local recruits.  They number five men and one woman, aged from 18 to 35, and hail from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, such as criminal justice, business, hospitality and banking.  All expressed a keen motivation for a policing career, and are young and active members of the local communities in which they live.

“Policing is a noble profession,” Derek Byrne, Commissioner of Police, told the recruits, “and a life-changing experience. As an officer you can have a positive impact on your community, and make a contribution that really lasts; the key is to  maintain the momentum and enthusiasm you have today for the work no matter what.”

Altogether, 114 applications were received at the conclusion of the local recruitment campaign in early September.  After confirmation of minimum qualifications, including possession of Caymanian status (or permanent residency through marriage to a Caymanian), and passage of a written exam, interview, fitness test and vetting, nine candidates were offered spaces in the recruit class.  Three candidates, a teacher and two accountants, declined their offers due to the salary level.  Altogether, six accepted.

“Recruiting local officers is a primary goal for the RCIPS, and it is our obligation to build the next generation of police officers and future leaders now,” continued CoP Byrne, “while we would have liked a larger local recruit class this year, I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and intelligence evident in our new recruits.”

The recruits will now embark on a 17-week intensive training course, after which they will receive on-the-job training during their two-year probationary period.  At the end of their probation, they could be posted in units such as criminal investigation, traffic, marine, air operations, financial crime, family support, or the K-9 unit, based on operational needs and priorities.

At the conclusion of yesterday’s meeting with the Senior Command Team, the recruits were sworn in as serving police officers and also expressed what motivated them personally to pursue a policing career.

One recruit responded, “I don’t think there is any better way to serve a country than to be in the police service.”

The graduation of the 2017 Recruit Class is scheduled for the first week of May.