Eastern Division.

The Royal Gazette has reported that the St. George's Police Station had seriously deteriorated in recent weeks with a ceiling collapse and insect infestation.

And seven people left the department because of poor working conditions.

Currently, there is one washroom facility for men, women and prisoners and prisoners' cells are located outside.

Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay told The Royal Gazette that the Police Service had identified a building that addressed its needs.

"A move gives the opportunity for the facility to be more modern and address the needs of personnel,'' he said.

He said he visited the building with Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott on May 29 and looked at the size of the building, and a number of other issues that would need to be addressed before Police moved in.

Mr. Lemay stressed that a contract had not been signed and a formal agreement had not been entered into in regards to the building at Southside.

He noted that, pending the development of Southside, there would be an increased need for Police in that area.

There was also the problem of parking at St. George's Police Station, which could not be expanded.

Mr. Lemay noted that the St. George's building had other shortcomings and said: "We would like to move out of the current building as it cannot be renovated.'' Renovations that would be required at a new building would be the installation of partitions, holding cells and other facilities.

And he said modern holding facilities would be built at the new facility.

The Eastern Division has made a commitment to the St. George's Corporation to maintain a presence in the town, he continued, noting that officers would need to be close to the visiting cruise ships.

Mr. Lemay said Government owned St. George's Police Station but the Corporation of St. George's wanted it for their use.

Mr. Lemay said the work would not involve major costs and could be "spearheaded by Works and Engineering''.

Other Eastern facilities have undergone major renovation and Mr. Lemay said that the Police Recreation Club and Barracks had been completely modernised with facilities one would expect in a modern facility, such as a kitchen, lunch room, common room, a TV room and so on.

He noted $450,000 was set aside for the project but it was completed considerably under budget, with the final cost of renovations being between $300,000 and $325,000.

"Works and Engineering worked very hard to make sure that the work was done for the incoming officers and, as a result, it was finished.'' said Mr. Lemay.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony within the next few weeks.

The barracks are being put to good use as the nine newly arrived officers from Jamaica and Anguilla have taken up residence there.

Mr. Lemay said the Department of Health was contacted and a health inspector inspected Eastern CID and the new barracks to ensure the renovations complied with modern standards.

The inspector also accompanied Mr. Lemay to the Southside building, which could be used to house Eastern Division, to determine any health and safety issues that needed to be addressed there.

The Royal Gazette has also raised the issue of low morale amongst the Police stationed at the east end due to the poor physical plant and low staffing numbers.

But Mr. Lemay noted, that of all divisions, the Eastern division had the highest morale because of the switch to a ten hour shift.

He said he recognised that there were challenges to morale due to poor facilities, but that the issues were being addressed and this had been conveyed to the officers who were kept appraised of the situation.

And staffing issues were being addressed with the recruitment of overseas officers and a new Service programme which saw former Police officers, who were studying overseas, being taken on as Temporary Police Officers (TPOs) to help boost numbers.

Mr. Lemay said the Service was continuing to contact former Police officers that were on the Island to try and take them on as TPO's.

These additional officers are taken on from June to August and are empowered with all of the powers of regular Police officers, while receiving money to continue their education.

Jean-Jacques Lemay