RECRUITMENT
1 A candidate for admission to the Department is required to be of Belizean nationality and satisfy the following standards, also to pass a medical examination and to undergo drug screening testing before acceptance.
Age : not less than 18 years of age
Height: not less than 5 feet 4 inches ?
Build: in proportion to height
Eyesight: does not require spectacles for distance, not less than 75 % of normal, not colour blind. Hearing: no undue deafness
Feet and Legs: sufficiently developed to cope with long periods of standing.
Teeth: no gross deficiencies
2 A written entrance examination must be taken unless the candidate satisfies the requirement by possession of a certificate of education at the appropriate level giving exemption from the entrance examination.
3 Candidates will be required to appear before a selection panel comprising two or more senior officers and may be required to complete a series of exercises aimed at determining their suitability for appointment to the Department.
4 Each candidate will be required to produce his birth certificate and if married his marriage certificate.
5 Persons with previous convictions are not normally accepted unless the offences are of a minor nature.
APPLICATIONS
6 Interested persons should be encouraged to write to the Commissioner of Police, Police Headquarters. P.O. Box 245, Belmopan, for further information and an application form. Application forms may also be given to intended applicants enquiring at stations in Districts.
CHARACTER ENQUIRIES
7 Enquiries will be made into the character and background of a candidate before he is accepted and any officer who knows anything detrimental to the character of an applicant for entry into the Police Department should make the fact known to his senior officer as soon as possible.
8 In addition to CRO checks details of candidates for the Department will be supplied by PTS to Special Branch for vetting enquiries. The SB report will be submitted through the District Commander of the area in which the candidate normally resides. The District Commander will cause such other enquiries as he considers necessary to be made in the locality and among local police officers who may know the candidate or his associates. Enquiries may be extended to any other area where the candidate has been known to live or work for a period of time. The SB report together with any other report and the comments of the District Commander will be forwarded to the Commandant PTS before the final selection interviews take place.
9 All information obtained in the course of character enquiries is to be treated as confidential; the details and the sources of such information may not be revealed to the candidate. A candidate whose application is not accepted will be informed that his application has been unsuccessful and no reason will be given.
APPOINTMENT OF RECRUIT POLICE CONSTABLES
10 On joining the Department Recruit Police Constables will normally be posted to the Police Training Academy for initial recruit training for a period of twenty weeks. Recruits are required to reside at the Training Academy throughout their training. Week-end leave is granted from time to time.
11 During this period and throughout the period of probation (two years) the services of a recruit may be dispensed with at any time if the Commissioner considers that he is not fitted, physically or mentally, to perform the duties of a Constable, or that he is unlikely to become efficient or well conducted Constable. Dismissal without notice applies.
COMMANDANT POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY
12 The Commandant of the Police Training Academy is responsible to the Commissioner for supervision and direction of recruit and probationer training throughout the Department.
TRAINING
13 The training programme involves progress tests on a regular basis. Any recruit who fails to pass any of these tests may be permitted to resit a similar test one week later. Failure on a second occasion will cause the Commandant of the Police Training Academy to consider whether the recruit should be required to leave the Service.
14 During initial training all recruits will be on attachment to Patrol Branch, Eastern Division for one week for familiarization. During such attachments they will at all times when on the streets in uniform be accompanied by another experienced Police Officer and will not perform duty unaccompanied.
PROBATION
15 On completion of training recruits will be taken on the strength of the Department as Police Constables on probation for a period of two years and may be posted to District Stations and Formations for duty. Probationer Constables may be required to return to the Training Academy for a final course before confirmation of appointment.
REPORTS AND CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT
16 Confidential reports on Probationer Constables will be completed every three months during their probationary period by the NCO appointed to supervise the probationer's progress and his commanding officer.
17 All Probationer Constables will be reported on before confirmation of appointment.
18 The officer in charge of the District or Formation will indicate whether the probationer has reached a sufficient level of competence and ability to merit confirmation of appointment. Confirmation may be deferred in suitable cases where further time is required to enable a probationer to reach a satisfactory standard.
RE-JOINING AFTER PREVIOUS SERVICE
19 Individuals who have previously served in the Department and who voluntarily resigned may be considered for re-enlistment, however, such persons may have to repeat a period of training and revert to the bottom of the relevant pay scale on re-joining. Former NCOs may under certain circumstances be re-enlisted in their former rank.
TRANSFERS FROM BELIZE DEFENCE FORCE ?
20 Members of the Belize Defence Force on completion of their contracted service may be considered for appointment to the Belize Police Department, each case being considered on its merits. Officers so appointed will be required to satisfy police educational and physical entry standards including drug testing and if selected undergo police recruit training or other suitable courses according to their training and experience in the Defence Force.
21 On appointment former Defence Force personnel may be engaged only for a limited range of police duties, e.g as members of the Tactical Support Unit, until they attend and pass a recruit training or conversion course after which they will join the regular force and be posted to ordinary duties. 22. Applications from specialists for employment in the police in their particular field will be considered on the basis of those skills and the relevance of them to the requirements of the Police Department.