The officer in charge for training and professional development, Lt. Kevin Aldan, told the Variety in a telephone interview yesterday that the slots for 20 police and 16 fire cadets have already been filled.
“The applicants have undergone drug testing as a pre-requisite and we are just waiting for the results before we can proceed with the classes,” Aldan said.
“We hope to get the drug test results very soon so the classroom instruction can start,” he added.
Aldan said training usually lasts for at least three and a half months but they hope to keep the time frame shorter.
“We hope to finish the classes in a shorter time so we could help address the department’s lack of manpower,” Aldan said.
The power outages on island are compounding the department’s lack of personnel, he added.
According to Aldan, five of the police cadets are from Tinian, three or four are from Rota, and the rest are from the Attorney General’s Office, the Division of Immigration, the Office of Public Auditor and other agencies.
DPS acting Commissioner Santiago F. Tudela said the academy is one of his priorities.
“The academy will help address our manpower shortage,” he added.
With the recent deployment of police officers to the Middle East, Tudela said DPS needs to keep the academy “going.”
