‘It too hot’

Recently a decision was taken to carry out renovation work on the station and tents were pitched outside the station for officers to serve members of the public.

However, due to the daily high temperatures, officers have been complaining of the heat as well as dust blowing in their faces, while they are exposed to all the elements and they feel that the time has come for the Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams to intervene and move them to a rented building where there are suitable conditions for them to work under.

The officers told Newsday that no proper planning was put in place before the renovation works started and they believe that a building should have been rented for them so that their work could go on uninterrupted.

Officers insist that they could no longer operate under the existing conditions and are also calling on the Minister of National Security to intervene.

They added that they are now also exposed to criminal elements who can now pass in front of the station and single them out under the tent and probably fire a shot at them.

Yesterday, Secretary of the Police Social and Welfare Association Acting ASP Anand Ramesar confirmed that the Association had been informed of the concerns expressed by the more than 60 officers based at the Valencia Police Station.

“The Association became aware of the Valencia situation very recently and our investigation into the matter has confirmed that police officers indeed been placed in less than adequate conditions fit for human occupation.

There is a position taken by the Association to call on the Acting CoP to review the current situation as many of the officers are expressing sentiments of frustration, demotivation and feelings of neglect,” Ramesar said