President talks up better incentives including housing/scholarships for police

The police have recorded a 4.3% decrease in serious crimes for this year in comparison to the same period for 2019 says Commissioner of Police Acting, Nigel Hoppie. The Police Commissioner was at the time welcoming President Irfaan Ali as the Head of State joined senior police officers at the annual breakfast held by the police for the President and Home Affairs Minister.

It was during this engagement that Police Commissioner Acting Hoppie said that the force has also recorded a 21% increase in fatal accidents which saw a 15% increase in road fatalities for the same period compared to last year.

President Ali in addressing the officers pledged his government’s commitment to ensuring that officers’ welfare “will not be taken for granted,” the President said “you will see marked improvement in your living conditions, your livelihood and the benefits in which you receive, marked improvement,” the President asserted.

The Head of State who had previously announced a two week tax free bonus for all service members made a distinction about providing incentives based on performance, “a lot of professionals believe that we should go on a case outcome basis for incentive in the police force, similar to a production incentive,” he said, “we must never give the impression that our only driving force to solve a case is incentive and reward, that could never be it, it is our oath and commitment to office,  it is our love for country and people,” the President told officers.

As he addressed incentives for officers, the Head of State said that the government is working on a special housing programme that can facilitate ranks having access to house lots but also assisting them to qualify for loans and grants to build and own their own homes.