Six new police officers now joined the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) after they were officially sworn in office yesterday at the Office of the Vice President.
BPS Director Alloysius Alonz reiterated to the new officers namely Carter Kodep, Tramp O. Derbai, Sanford Stevano, Romel Ngirmenganged, Janice Ebil Temengil, and Shirley Mira that as public officers their job is to serve and protect the public and that a police officer must always maintain the image of a police officer.
“A police officer is a police officer 24 hours. Even if you are off-duty [or whether] you’re in a party, and [in] anything else you do, you still have to maintain that image because it will reflect on the whole Bureau,” Alonz said.
Alonz said that three of the police officers are going to be part of the patrol department, two are going to be part of the fire and rescue team, and one will be assigned at the Koror Jail.
Alonz said that there are still at least more than 10 positions that are vacant at the patrol department and he encourages Palauans to apply if they want to join the force.
According to Alonz, the BPS currently has 153 sworn in police officers and that they are aiming to reach the number of at least 200 police officers.
Meanwhile, Vice President and Minister of Justice Raynold Oilouch told Island Times on a separate interview that he welcomes the new officers to the police force.
“We need all the manpower we can have and I believe that they will certainly be an asset to the force,” Oilouch said.
Oilouch also said that the new cops must abide by the command of their superiors, stay away from all the troubles, comply with the regulations that applied to them and to stay away from all the illegal drug-related activities. (Rhealyn C. Pojas/Reporter)