Dominica looks for assistant crime commissioner

The minister for national security in Dominica has revealed that the government is looking for an assistant commissioner for crime for the police force.

Rayburn Blackmoore said the matter has already been approved by cabinet and was already on the order paper for parliament.

“We are looking at the rank structure to have it reflect the times,” he said.

“So we are looking at this rank of assistant commissioner for crimes in the first instance and that will create a ray of hope for the other folks to have opportunities for upward mobility.”

He said it has already been approved by cabinet and regulations will be amended “to give effect to that rank.”

“So that is something that we are going to pursue."

He stated that recruitment of police officers, which was halted by the passage of Hurricane Maria, is going to resume soon and all new recruits must take a polygraphic test.

“Every potential candidate has to pass a polygraphic test,” he said.

“That is critical we have to ensure that persons who join the police force are of the right spirit because providing vehicles, improvement of our stations and police stations are critical but that by themselves will not create a better police force.”

Blackmoore explained that policing is about people having the right spirit, the right temperament and diligence.

“So that is something that is being pursued every day and how we can make it can become part of the psyche of the officers in the police force,” he said.

He pointed out that Maria had damaged parts of the police training school and a new design is being done for a new training school.