More than 50 percent trainees fail to meet requirements

After undergoing seven and a half months of training, more than 50 percent of the would-be cops failed to meet the requirements to become a probationer. As a result, for the first time in many years, there will be no police passing out parade which had been carded to take place tomorrow. The passing out parade, which is done with a lot of fanfare, is usually the showpiece of what the recruits learnt during their training and their rewards for learning well.

This time the few officers that have done well in training will be quietly inducted into the service. No one could say what will become of those who failed to make the grade. Senior officers refused to speak out, preferring to stay quiet out of fear of antagonising their colleagues at the Police Training College. Two hundred and fifty recruits made up the last batch that entered into training. The passing out parade was supposed to have taken place tomorrow at the St James Barracks.
 
Efforts to contact Commissioner of Police Everard Snaggs proved futile. Deputy Commissioner Trevor Paul advised Newsday to talk with the CoP. A new batch is supposed to enter training later this year. Meanwhile the 300-plus officers that have already passed out in Project SRP 1000 are crying shame since only ten officers out of the two batches failed to make the required grade.