(CMR) Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton has spoken to the need for capacity building in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, which currently has 483 personnel, 46 more than it did 16 years ago.
Commissioner Walton, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, said that there has been an increase of only 10 police officers when compared with 2008, with the bulk of the increase in personnel over the years being in support staff.
The RCIPS released its 2023 Crime and Traffic Statistics Report on Wednesday, and members of the Senior Command Team held a press conference to discuss the main developments and trends.
Speaking on capacity building, the Commissioner pointed out that in 2008, when the police force had 437 members, the population was just over 57,000. Now that the population has grown to over 85,000, however, the police force has not seen any major growth.
“As circumstances evolve, as the threats evolve…it means that the police have to inevitably evolve,” Walton said, noting that the organization has to grow and be future-proof.
“Crime evolves, which means our policing investigative skills will evolve because we are dealing with different threats that are on the horizon,” he said.
He also noted that several departments have been added to the RCIPS that did not exist in 2008, including forensic and ballistic hub and air operation unit.
Commissioner Walton said the attrition rate is 15 to 20 police officers annually. In 2023, there was an intake of 78, while 17 left.
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