On Monday morning, the Detective Team of the KPA (Aruba Police Force) walked out to demonstrate their dissatisfaction related to, among other things, the shortage of personnel and the pressure this puts on the detective team, but also in connection with the recent announcement by the Police Force leadership regarding food vouchers during overtime.
The Minister of Justice, mr. drs. Arthur Dowers, has understanding for the concerns expressed this morning by the staff of the Detective Department and attended the walkout to dialogue with the detectives and the SPA union in search of short- and long-term solutions.
The personnel shortage at KPA is nothing new, but rather the result of a lack of investment in police recruits over several years. This situation has caused a shortage in the number of staff and, consequently, high workload pressure, a lot of overtime, and pressure on criminal investigations.
According to Minister Dowers, there is communication with the leadership of the Police Force and the Police Union to identify and implement structural and sustainable solutions to strengthen the capacity of the Detective Department and lower the burden on the existing staff. Efforts are being made to reduce the deficit in the long term, but that will take a few years to show its effects. In the meantime, efforts must be made to fill the current gap with the personnel already available within KPA.
Minister Dowers expressed his appreciation for the important work that detectives perform daily in the interest of security and law enforcement in Aruba.