The Police Welfare Association is again urging the government to introduce a risk allowance for officers, saying the dangers of policing continue to go unrecognised despite years of appeals.

Speaking on Observer Media, Association Chairman Virlica Chatham said officers have been seeking the allowance since 2017 but have yet to receive compensation specifically for the risks they face on duty. She noted that while officers receive a duty allowance for overtime, there is no separate payment recognising the hazards of the job.

Chatham said the issue has become more urgent following several violent incidents involving police officers, including cases in which three officers were shot within the past year. One officer lost a leg, while others sustained injuries after coming under gunfire.

She also pointed to the recent injury of Senior Sergeant Jeffery Benjamin, who was struck by a truck along Valley Road on 3 July, as another example of the risks officers face.

Chatham argued that greater attention should be given to officers’ welfare and said concerns raised by rank-and-file officers are typically passed through the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General rather than directly to the Police Service Commission.

She said the Association remains committed to securing a risk allowance, maintaining that police officers deserve compensation that reflects the dangers of their work.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Police Officers Renew Push for Risk Allowance After Years of Unanswered Calls.