The Inspector General of Police-IGP, Martin Okoth Ochola has vetted 25 police teams that will conduct the recruitment of 4500 Probation Police Constables-PPCs and 500 Learner Assistant Inspectors of Police-AIPs scheduled for next week.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, says Ochola has cautioned the members against engaging in any irregularity during the recruitment that starts on Monday. He says the teams will be flagged off for the seven days’ recruitment exercise towards the end of this week.
The teams will work alongside intelligence officers and local leaders in their respective areas of operation to ensure only qualified and genuine candidates are selected.
A police trainee is referred to as a Probation Police Constable (PPC) after completing 12-month training.
He or she transforms into a constable after a six month’s mentorship at the respective station they are deployed to.
Enanga says no applicants with senior six certificates or above will be accessed for applicants for police constables and no documents above a Diploma will be allowed for Learner AIPs.
Police says the decision has been made to recruit Senior Four leavers because majority of Senior Six Leavers recruited abandon the force a few years after earning some money.
Enanga says several constables recruited with S6 certificates since 2000 when the Justice Julia Sebutinde Commission advised Uganda Police Force to stop recruiting S4 leavers have disappointed the force.
Sebutinde had indicated that S4 constables could hardly read and interpret the law, a reason they mishandle criminal investigations. She argued that at S6, a constable has some knowledge about the law and can be able interpret it.
Police says most of the deserters in the past years have been constables they recruited at S6 but decided to desert the force for greener pastures in countries such Iraq where they were deployed as security guards.
The requirements include letters from Local Council Chairman, LC2, LC3, Resident District Commissioner -RDC and three passport photos.
At least 3500 Constables have deserted the Police force between 2017 and 2014, according to the man hunt audit that was ordered by Ochola. Enanga said the proposed recruitment of the 4500 Constables will reduce the policing workload.
United Nations policing standards recommend that a single police officer should man not more than 500 people (1:500). But for case of Uganda Police manpower believed to be between 38000 and 41000 translate to 1052 people being manned by each police constable (1:1052).
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