Deputy Prime Minister St Clair Leacock has announced plans for the creation of a targeted “guard unit” within the police force, designed specifically to ensure consistent security for high-level officials and diplomatic missions.
The announcement comes in response to concerns over security shortages for protected individuals. According to Leacock, the government has received complaints from embassies, judges, and senior officials of state regarding inadequate police protection.
He explained that these security details have frequently fallen short of their required compliments because specialized units are often depleted for weekend operations and specific missions.
To address this, the new guard unit will be assigned the “dedicated responsibility to provide service” to these specific high-profile individuals and embassies. Leacock stated that the composition of the unit is still being shaped, but it may involve a mix of specially trained auxiliary police officers or personnel drawn directly from existing tactical units.
The formation of this unit is part of a broader push to improve efficiency and specialization within the police force. Leacock stressed that the government intends to stop the practice of arbitrarily reassigning highly trained officers to standard patrols.
“One of the things you’re not going to find us perpetuating is where we are arbitrarily moving people who are specializing the training from let’s say SSU [Special Services Unit] and to RU [Rapid Response Unit] to regular police duties on beat duties,” Leacock said. By keeping officers focused on their dedicated roles, he expects the force to achieve greater overall competence and efficiency in its delivery of service.