The next police academy - the first to be offered in three years - is set to start in mid-December. This is according to the head of the Dept. of Public Safety’s Training Division Tauese Va’aomala Sunia.

The police academy was initially set to start during the summer months but has been continuously postponed as DPS struggles to identify eligible candidates who are able to pass the dreaded entrance test - the initial step in recruitment - which has been offered a handful of times in as many months.

DPS is budgeted to take on 20 cadets for the next police academy but so far, they only have 18.

During the most recent testing session, which was offered on Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei, 25 potential cadets showed up and to no surprise, only two (8%) passed.

“We have already set the date for the start of the next police academy and we will move forward as planned,” said Tauese in a telephone interview with the Samoa News yesterday morning, in response to queries about whether or not the academy will go on, despite the fact that there are still two vacant slots.

When asked why the academy - which was scheduled to start this coming week - was pushed back once again, Tauese said the delay was to allow those who were ‘no-shows’ during the previous testing session to take the test.

Over 100 people who applied at the Dept. of Human Resources (DHR) were registered to take last week’s test but only 25 showed up. Speculations on why the number of test takers was so low centers on the fact that since the passing percentages have been poor, many felt ‘intimidated’ and feared not being able to pass.

It was only the second time the new ‘revised’ test was offered.

The first one was offered last month with only six out of 86 (7%) test takers passing.

Add that to the ten out of over 300 people (2%) who took the test during the summer months and the grand total of potential police officers is now at 18.

(The test that was offered during the summer months was a new test, updated for the first time in many years. Following poor performance that was evident in the low passing percentage, coupled with claims from the Dept. of Human Resources that the ‘new’ test should be invalidated because its contents didn’t get prior approval from them, a new ‘revised’ test - compiled after collaboration between the Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) and the Dept. of Human Resources (DHR) - was offered. No details were given on how the ‘revised’ test differs from the first one that was offered twice this year in June and again in August).

Samoa News understands that the remaining two slots for the academy will be filled with transfers from other government departments and agencies, including the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS).

Passing the entrance test is only the first of many requirements needed in order to become a police officer. Other requirements include passing a physical fitness test, a psychological evaluation, an oral interview, and a background check. This means those who have already passed the test may not necessarily pass the other requirements.

 According to the job announcement, the salary range for the incoming trainees will run from $10,471 to $23,471.