Bolans police officers wait to find out where next they will be housed, as MP Simon cries shame on embarrassing situation

Officers attached to the Bolans Police Station remain uncertain
about where they will be placed this time around, after they were
evicted from their temporary premises at Jolly Harbour.
 

On Tuesday, REAL News broke the news that the lawmen had been
booted from the space that had operated as a station, because of the
Gaston Browne Administration’s reported failure to pay the rent.
 
Since then, there has been no official word from Sir Steadroy
Benjamin, the minister of national security, on arrangements to
ensure that the men and women from that station are properly
housed.
 
Crying shame on this unfortunate development is MP Kelvin “Shugy”
Simon, the parliamentary representative for the area. Simon says
this is an embarrassing development that reportedly has left law-
enforcement officers “on the street” with no place from which to
function.
 
The MP recounts that, prior to the October 24, 2023 by-election in
St. Mary’s South, reconstruction of the original station had
commenced in earnest, with the hope of giving the Antigua Labour
Party candidate an advantage at the polls.
However, since Simon won the by-election, work on the station
apparently has stalled.
 
This is no surprise, Simon says, as this is the case with other civil
works started in the constituency before the by-election, all of which
allegedly have stopped.
 
At a time when crime is at an all-time high, this situation is totally
unacceptable, Simon says, adding that the people of St. Mary’s south
deserve better.
 
Some word is likely to come on Thursday, January 18, since the
Cabinet met on Wednesday for its weekly meeting.
 

The Nation is anxious to know whether another rented space will be
sought, since the Government seems unable to manage timely
payments due to its financial challenges.
 
Over the past several years, several police stations have had to be
relocated, mostly to areas outside their districts.
 
The station in St. John’s was the latest such move, late last year, and
was relocated from its Newgate Street premises for renovation work
due to mold infestation and structural issues. It now operates from
the Dredge Bay playing field in the building that once housed the
Antigua Port Authority’s administrative offices.