St. Lucian police officers abuse moonlighting arrangement

St. Lucia's Police Commissioner Vernon Francois says some officers are abusing the arrangement that allows them to do extra jobs such as private security work outside their normal working hours.

The Police chief says steps are being taken to ensure that moonlighting by the police is properly regulated.

The Commissioner says some officers have been reporting sick for their police duties when they are in fact taking the time to work in the second jobs.

Mr. Francois says the primary function of police officers is to do the work they are being paid by the government to perform.

Nevertheless he said if those officers can get legitimate employment outside of normal work hours, it needs to be encouraged and regulated as well.

Mr. Francois says off duty employment has been abused.

“Some of them give priority to their moonlighting than the work they are paid for by the Government of St. Lucia. So we want to bring that under a degree of control. We are not going to outlaw off duty employment completely but we are definitely going to regulate it,”

The current procedure requires the Commissioner to give permission for moonlighting and the Police Chief says he will be enforcing this rule.