Bermuda Police Service has extended its latest recruitment campaign and is exploring the possibility of hiring more overseas officers in a bid to bring staffing up to the optimum level.

The Service now has 419 officers serving, including those already on a recruitment course, but the full strength of the Police service should be 439.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said a number of overseas officers from the UK and Caribbean, who arrived in 2000 for a fixed three-year period, had accepted the offer of an additional five-year contract, while some had opted to leave.

And he said a further ten officers from abroad arrived on the Island in June and were now through their induction and fully deployed.

But in an effort to further swell the ranks, Mr. Caines said the current Police recruitment campaign had been extended until the end of August, and he said additional officers could be brought in from overseas.

"Bermuda Police Service is looking to bolster the ranks with a new recruitment course, which is projected to start at the end of the year or beginning of next year, and is exploring the opportunities of recruiting more overseas officers," said Police spokesman Dwayne Caines.

"We have a recruitment foundation course that is on right now, and those officers will soon be joining the different divisions and carrying out full Police duties.

"But we are hoping to start another recruitment course at the end of this year or beginning of next and are looking for bright, dedicated people who want to give something back to their community in a very rewarding career."

Mr. Caines said he could not give any other detail about the possibility of hiring more overseas officers, other than to say that if it did materialise, the search would be concentrated around the UK and Caribbean.

But he said the Service was pushing to hire as many new local recruits as possible.

He said the Service was interested in taking on Bermudians or spouses of Bermudians who were responsible and career-minded, with a clean criminal record.

"We are looking for people who are interested in a challenging but rewarding career in the Bermuda Police Service," added Mr. Caines.

"We want people who are responsible, who want to serve their community and who want to make a difference - someone who is looking for excitement, someone who is self-disciplined and who is not afraid of hard work.

"It's a job where there are several careers within a career. There are no limits to how far you can go and progress."

New recruits can be aged between 19 and 49. They must undergo a physical test, written test and panel interview before being accepted onto the 16-week training course.

The starting salary is $39,760, but with benefits, including overtime for public holidays, shift differential and combined allowance, the annual wage is $48,436.

Anyone interested should call Police on 295-0011 and ask for the recruitment section.