By Kisean Joseph
Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney has confirmed that the 69 police recruits who make up Course 49 have been officially sworn in as regular constables within the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) with duty postings set to be assigned today.
The swearing-in ceremony, which took place yesterday, marks the successful completion of their transition from special constables to full police officers.
The announcement comes amid recent public discussion about the status of the officers, which had drawn attention after former Police Commissioner Rawlston Pompey raised concerns about the legitimacy of their designation as special constables. Pompey had warned that their status would become unlawful if they were not properly sworn in “by December 2”.
Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin, who had defended Commissioner Rodney’s handling of the matter, expressed confidence in the process. “The police commissioner, Mr Rodney, from the very onset explained fully his intentions of what was to happen with this batch of police officers,” Benjamin stated. “I’m satisfied that he was totally in control of everything.”
The officers’ journey began with their initial appointment on entering the Sir Wright F George Police Academy in April 2024, when they were designated as special constables for a seven-month term set to expire on November 30. The transition to regular constables has been completed ahead of this deadline.
Sir Steadroy, who is also the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, had earlier addressed the public controversy surrounding the appointments. “I am concerned that a matter of this nature should have been made public and made the type of great concern which some people have made it out to be,” he told Observer, maintaining that the situation would be “regularised soonest”.
With the completion of the swearing-in ceremony, duty assignments are now pending and the 69 new members of the RPFAB are now poised to begin their full service in the force. This development represents an expansion of the nation’s law enforcement capacity and brings resolution to questions about their designation.
