The British dependency of Anguilla is wooing police officers from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
Royal Anguilla Police Force Commissioner, Keithlyn Benjamin has written to local police Commissioner William Harry, inviting applications from members of his constabulary.{{more}}
According to information received, constables applying for membership of the Anguillan Force are being offered a package which includes basic salary of $2,277.00 monthly, plus 15% increment, along with overtime rate of $15.00 per hour on normal working days and $20.00 per hour on public holidays. They are also being offered house allowance of $375.00 and laundry allowance of $40.00.
Anguilla’s request is not an unusual one, but it comes at a time when the local police Force is undergoing serious transition. In recent years there have been a mass exodus of young officers to foreign organisations accompanied by a number of retirement of experienced officers, some of whom have not yet reached retirement age.
Many officers who did not join foreign police organisations have found employment at home in the growing security firms.
It is interesting to note that between now and the end of 2005, a number of senior and top officers in the local police Force will be retiring, leaving it quite a young and inexperienced one. Among those expected to retire are Commissioner William Harry and his Deputy, Cyril Doyle, who are expected to be out by the end of next year, and the Force’s most experienced officer of thirty six years, ASP Noel Daniel who is expected to retire at the end of this year.