In its latest effort to have more officers on the streets, the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) yesterday inducted 60 new police officers into its ranks.

The new recruits will spend the next few months enduring rigorous training at the Thompson Boulevard Police College.

The Bahama Journal has learned that about 13 more new officers will join them within the next two weeks.

Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s son is one of the new recruits.

Over the past month, officers have been working 12-hour workdays.

Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage said the ultimate goal is to see a decrease in crime.

However, recently Police Staff Association (PSA) Executive Chairman Inspector Dwight Smith said the increase in hours is not what’s causing the crime decrease.

Instead he said, the fact that more officers are on the streets is what is driving crime figures down.

Inspector Smith said the addition of 60 new officers is not enough to battle crime in a nation with a population of over 350,000.

“When you talk about the strength of the force and whether or not 60 officers is sufficient, I think not,” he said.

“We need to do some more recruitment because Nassau is not just the base of policing. We cover the whole Commonwealth of The Bahamas. I think on every island and in every department the cry would be for more manpower.”

In the 2013/2014 Budget, the government allocated funds to hire up to 200 new officers.

The new officers join the 3,500 officers already serving throughout the country.