WILLEMSTAD - Overtime expenditures at the Curaçao police have risen from 12.5 million guilders in 2018 to 19.4 million in 2021. This represents about eighty percent of the total overtime expenditures of the Curaçao government, primarily caused by the Ministry of Justice. This is one of the conclusions from a report by the General Audit Chamber Curaçao on overtime at the Curaçao Police Force (KPC).
The KPC, comprising multiple departments including the General Police Service (APD) and the Special Police Service (BPD), has seen a significant portion of its overtime expenditures increase due to a combination of factors.
Capacity
The main causes are a significant shortage of capacity, the application of higher overtime rates than legally established, insufficient safeguarding of the legality of declared overtime hours, and limited control over overtime expenditures for the protection of authorities.
According to the Audit Chamber, a personnel shortage caused by a higher outflow than inflow and a lack of financial resources for the training of new recruits is at the core of the problem.
This is exacerbated by the external deployment of employees and a considerable absenteeism – the cause of which has not been investigated – resulting in limited deployability of personnel. The situation is further complicated by legally prescribed working and rest times, making it challenging to flexibly schedule the remaining staff.
Moreover, higher overtime rates than legally allowed have been applied since 2004, artificially inflating overtime expenditures. The legality of declared overtime hours is insufficiently safeguarded, partly because overtime assignments are often given verbally and are difficult to verify afterward.
Ineffectiveness
To address the overtime issue, the KPC has taken various measures, including capping the number of overtime hours per person and adjusting the budget to prevent overspending. Nevertheless, these measures remain ineffective, partly due to the persistent capacity shortage and the structural nature of overtime.
The General Audit Chamber Curaçao urgently advises implementing in-depth measures aimed at addressing the underlying causes of high overtime. This includes reconsidering the demand for and supply of police services, increasing efforts to attract and retain new employees, and minimizing the risk of unnecessarily declared overtime.
The implementation of these measures is crucial to ensuring an efficient and effective police force capable of meeting the safety requirements of the community without jeopardizing the financial stability of the government.