“How much longer must our police and justice officials wait before they get the working home they so rightly deserve?” This was the question posed by Prime Minister Allen Chastanet today, a day after the government recommenced demolition works on the Royal Gaol prison — to pave way for a new police headquarters and halls of justice. The Saint Lucia National Trust has not taken lightly to the demolition, but in a statement today, the prime minister argued that the problem of poor working conditions must be tackled once and for all.
Said the prime minister: “For over 20 years, our police officers have had to work in less than ideal conditions. From offices being infested with mold, to not even having office furniture to accommodate them to carry out basic administrative duties. For just as long as our police have had to endure substandard working spaces, the judicial system has had to endure some of these very challenges with poor quality courtrooms, insufficient accommodation and inadequate security.
“These concerns have been brought up administration after administration, year after year. The poor working conditions which our police officers and judicial officials endure on a daily basis have often been cited as one of the major factors affecting the morale and efficient functioning of our Security and Justice systems. Though we have invested in making upgrades to our police stations and court houses this is not enough! This is an issue which my Government has decided to pay full attention to once and for all.”
He continued: “In October of 2018, we commenced the preparations of the site for the construction of a new Police Headquarters which will strategically include 6 court rooms to centralize the judicial system as well as for security purposes. This was delayed for 1 year and 6 months due to an injunction which was filed. How much longer must our police and justice officials wait before they get the working home they so rightly deserve?”
