…while City Constabulary woefully understaffed, CoI hears

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into City Hall’s operations, on Wednesday heard that the City Constabulary provides 12 officers as security personnel to former Mayor Hamilton Green and current Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, despite being grossly understaffed.
According to Chief Constable, Andrew Foo, the former mayor is being provided with four security personnel while the current mayor has eight, this is while the City Constabulary is understaffed by over 150 officers.

“The former mayor has one lance corporal and three security guards. The current mayor has eight in terms of personnel, in terms of body guards as well as those at the residents,” Foo noted.

He added: “Our authorised strength should be 345; we currently have 191 in terms of staff actual strength. That’s in terms of the sworn officers, the uniformed officers, and we have an auxiliary in terms of security guards. We currently need an authorised strength of 80, and we have 67 security guards.”

CoI Chairman, retired Justice Cecil Kennard described the situation a waste of resources.
“What is going on? What does he need four for? And he’s getting a big package as prime minister? This is a lot of surplus wasting of money. This is ridiculous. She has eight? She must be President Granger,” Kennard remarked. Foo established that he is only following orders handed down by City Council. “It is part of my responsibility,” he said.