The 14 new recruits now join four already serving auxiliary officers. All 18 now form the fifth cohort of locally trained police officers. Those four existing auxiliary officers will now complete the training to become police constables.

Meanwhile, the new recruitment class is made up of eight Virgin Islanders/Belongers and six persons from other Caribbean countries.

“Two of the recruits were former cadets of the VI Cadet Corps. Three are training to be auxiliary officers. All 18 will begin a challenging six-month basic police training programme with early morning exercises and full days of class instruction,” the RVIPF said on Tuesday.

“The training curriculum will cover the foundation of policing in both theory and practice and include on all aspects of law enforcement. Lectures will be held at the Marine Centre of H.L Stoutt Community College. Inspector Beverly James will coordinate all in-class instruction,” the police further said.