all local avenues are exhausted By Matthew Taylor and Stephen Breen Understaffed Police have received the green light to start looking to recruit overseas.

But there could be a further staffing crisis in the spring as around 50 officers will come up for retirement, claims former Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Perinchief.

Yesterday, Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay told ZBM News that the hunt was on for experienced overseas male officers after the force admitted last week that criminals were exploiting the manpower shortage.

Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox said last night she had not seen the bulletin, but if the Commissioner had made such an unqualified statement it was "extraordinary'' and "discourteous to Government''.

The Minister had given Mr. Lemay approval to look overseas if all local recruitment initiatives had been exhausted, she said, but it still had to be approved by Cabinet.

The Commissioner said: "We want someone with at least five years' experience, males only. We have a number of females who continue to arrive on our doorstep asking to join the Police force. We need experienced Police officers to train our Police officers to do Police work.'' Whether the search would actually lead to a manpower boost was still in doubt.

Mr. Lemay said: "We have been asked by the Minister to contact Commissioners in the Caribbean and overseas also as a preliminary step to see if there is interest.

"It's a matter of determining whether we need to move in that direction. We will be having dialogue in the weeks to come.'' The Minister told The Royal Gazette last night: "Clearly there is an indication that if there is a need, that need will be met. There is an option of short-term secondment, making sure we get people not just from one geographical location.

"Discussions are ongoing and it is extraordinary that an announcement is made before I get Cabinet to sign off on it.

"Any statement is premature and discourteous to Government to go out at this stage when there are things to be done.

"If the statement was couched in terms of the Minister still seeking Cabinet approval, we are not at odds, but if he has made a categorical statement, I find that surprising.'' Final details had to be decided on redeployment of resources to free people from meaningless tasks, and the Commissioner had produced a good report on this, she added.

However Mr. Perinchief, a Progressive Labour Party MP, said the Service was sitting on a potential recruitment time bomb with about 50 posts up for retirement in the spring.

And he attacked the current staffing policy which forced Police officers with eight years' service to commit to another 17 years service or take their pension money and run.

He explained: "After eight years, their pension gets locked in or they can take a lump sum. It causes a lot of people to make a choice -- this should be rectified by the Pensions Act.

"The requirement needs to be changed. People shouldn't be expected to get locked into this. They should be able to get the pension commuted.

Recruits "It's very worrying because they are the long-term Policemen. We are cutting right down to the muscle.'' Mr. Perinchief also criticised the current policy which expected officers to retire after 25 years of service.

Mr. Perinchief said: "You can't afford to lose this hardcore of long-term experienced Policemen. However some of them can get special dispensation to stay.'' The Police were not able to comment yesterday about a possible spring exodus of staff.

But Police Association chairman Sgt. Michael Jackman said: "This is only speculation. I don't see there's going to be a mass exodus. I don't think it will be any different this year than last year.'' Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley described fears of mass resignations as chilling in light of soaring crime rates revealed last week.

Police numbers have fallen from 444 to around 400.

Mr. Dunkley said: "I heard a number of people have put in for early retirement. When you couple that with the fact that the recruitment course in February can't even raise more than a dozen people it's a very worrying situation. Crime is on the up -- the situation is of grave concern.''