PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R, Acting Secretary General of Ministry VROMI Louis Brown (2nd from left), Minister of Justice Hon. Roland Duncan (6th from left) standing with the inspectors. DCOMM Photo
Seven civil servants from the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) last week Friday were sworn in by Minister of Justice Hon. Roland Duncan with the status of extra-ordinary police.
The seven persons include three senior inspectors at the Department of Inspections comprising of the Enforcement Team of the department and four persons from the Department of Infrastructure Management.
The aforementioned police status allows the civil servants to enforce various ordinances and issue fines to those who are infringing upon the law.
According to Acting Secretary General Ministry VROMI Louis Brown, the ministry now has an additional task at its disposal to adequately enforce laws governing building construction and development, environment, safety on job sites, and other applicable legislation that the ministry is charged to enforce.
Civil servants from the Department of Infrastructure Management also received the aforementioned status since they are in the field on a daily basis and can detect transgressions and are now able to take action on the spot in collaboration with the Enforcement Team of Inspections.
Six persons within the Ministry successfully completed their training in 2009 and one person already had the authority in the Netherlands and is currently employed at VROMI.
Other staff members from the Department of Inspections will within short will start their own training and once successfully completed will be certified as extra ordinary police officers.