WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1989
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"BUT WE SHALL BE WATCHING THE SITUATION CAREFULLY OVER THE MONTHS AHEAD, BOTH IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT TIGHT LABOUR MARKET, AND THE EFFECT OF THE NEW PAY AWARDS ON RECRUITMENT, WHICH HAVE YET TO BE SEEN, HE SAID.
"MEANWHILE, VACANCY FIGURES REMAIN CONSTANT AND POLICE OPERATIONAL TASKS ARE NOT BEING AFFECTED.
"
MR BARNES NOTED THAT 1,639 OFFICERS LEFT THE POLICE FORCE LAST YEAR, COMPRISING 180 OFFICERS AT THE INSPECTORATE LEVEL OR ABOVE, AND 1,459 MEMBERS OF THE RANK AND FILE.
THE WASTAGE RATE STOOD AT SIX PER CENT IN 1988 COMPARED WITH A RATE OF 5.4 PER CENT IN THE REST OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.
"THE VACANCY RATE AT PRESENT IS LESS THAN ONE PER CENT COMPARED WITH A FIGURE OF FIVE PER CENT FOR THE REST OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR BARNES SAID.
"THERE ARE CURRENTLY 31 VACANT INSPECTORATE POSTS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 2,362, AND 130 VACANT JUNIOR OFFICER POSTS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 27,395."
ON RECRUITMENT, MR BARNES SAID THE TARGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 88-89 HAD BEEN SET AT 2,535 OFFICERS, TO COPE WITH EXPANSION NEEDS AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS OF THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL.
AN
THE FIGURE COMPRISED 225 INSPECTORS AND 2,310 CONSTABLES, INCREASE OF 12.5 PER CENT FOR INSPECTORS AND 50
PER CENT FOR CONSTABLES COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR'S LEVELS.
TO BE
MET,
PER
"FOR INSPECTORS THE REQUIRED NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED BUT FOR CONSTABLES THERE MAY BE A SHORTFALL OF OVER 100, OR CENT OF THE RECRUITMENT TARGET, MR BARNES SAID.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT INCREASED DURING 1988 DUE EFFORTS.
TO
THAT APPLICATIONS то JOIN THE FORCE STEPPED UP PUBLICITY AND RECRUITING
SIX QUALIFIED
"THERE ARE CURRENTLY VACANCY,' MR BARNES SAID.
"
APPLICANTS
FOR EACH
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