WILLEMSTAD - The personnel of the Curaçao Police Force (KPC) show low motivation to show up for work, according to a recent report released by the Council for Law Enforcement.
The report indicates a high rate of absenteeism and a lack of physical fitness among some police officers. To address the high absenteeism rate, the corps leadership aims to establish a Social Medical Team and implement an absenteeism policy. With the increase in the retirement age, it takes longer for the force to rejuvenate, while attrition already begins at the age of 50.
The shortage of adequate personnel and equipment also affects the operational readiness of the police force. Another issue is that several staff members are considering withdrawing from police service to work in another capacity within the corps, according to the investigative report.
The government implemented a hiring freeze at the police force a few years ago. Currently, the KPC is in discussions with the government to hire personnel based on one-to-one replacement for departing staff. Currently, the ratio is 3:1, meaning that for every three departing staff members, one new one can be hired. However, relief is on the horizon: the KPC can soon hire 33 new staff members, provided that the number of overtime hours is reduced.