Minister of National Security, St. Clair Leacock, has reiterated that the accommodation at police stations should not be worse than that enjoyed by officers at their homes.
Leacock reiterated the point as he continued his tour of police stations across the country, visiting those on the leeward side of St. Vincent last week.
During the visit to the two police stations in Central Leeward, Leacock, who is also deputy prime minister, was accompanied by Commissioner of Police Enville Williams and other senior ranks, MP for the constituency, Conroy Huggins and senior national security officials.
Speaking in Barrouallie, where a historic building was the nation’s oldest functioning police station before it was vacated in February 2021, Leacock pointed out that the police outpost was abandoned due to a sewer problem and not because of disrepair.
The police station is located on the seafront, and Leacock said he was told that the tidal conditions made the situation worse, with the sewer backing up during high tide.
“And it’s been presented as if that was an insurmountable problem,” he said.
Leacock, however, said that Huggins does not share this outlook, adding that the MP had noted that people living on the flanks of the police station do not have the same problem with their sewage systems.
“So, clearly, deeper investigation is required,” Leacock said, adding that his ministry would have to make a financial evaluation as to whether to continue with a “piecemeal approach” to housing the police station in Barrouallie.
He said the other consideration is a long-term fix that considers for the building’s historic value and the safety and accommodation of police officers, even as the building is modernised.
He noted the dome at the building is a feature of Barrouallie.
“… and there’s a sufficiency of space to the back to which we believe you can have upgraded modern accommodation that could comfortably house our policemen…
“Now let me seize this opportunity one more time. It’s going to be the mantra of the minister of national security: policemen must not be in living quarters that are worse than their home situation.
“And when they are at their workplaces, they must feel it to be sufficiently commodious, comfortable, that they can be at the workplace living a high quality of service, because policing by nature is demanding; very, very demanding.”
The national security minister said he was not dealing with the issue of pay, etc., as important as those are, as he was focused on “the basic comfort and customer service that must be provided to people who do business with the police force…”
He said that neither he nor Huggins was anticipating the outcome of what should be done at the Barrouallie Police Station building.
“… we are going to go and seek the technical advice, get the police input into this conversation, and see if we could come out with a budget that is within the reach of our advisors in the Ministry of Finance such that when we get to our prime minister and the Cabinet, we can defend what’s on paper before them.”
Meanwhile, the police chief said that housing is a central part of police officers performing their duty.
“And we are certainly, from a police perspective, … happy that this issue is taking front and centre with you, minister, so that we can threat with the business of securing the Vincentian public the way we ought to, rather than looking over our shoulders as to where we live and where we work, because our job is to bring peace and comfort to the people,” Williams said.
He said Leacock has touched on incorporating the fire service and returning marine police to Barrouallie, noting that it is a large, fishing community.
“So, we want to return the presence of the Coast Guard to give a sense of peace to the fisher folk who are going out …” Williams said.
Every police station needs attention
Leacock began visiting police stations across the country shortly after being sworn in as minister of national security on Dec. 2.
Speaking on Boom FM on Dec. 8, Leacock said he had had a three-hour session with the commissioner of police “to know how school is keeping” even as he was continuing with visitations.
He said that the visitation had started on the leeward side and would then move to the windward side of St. Vincent.
“The initial report is that, as we would say in local language, … we ain’t they good, we ain’t they good, we ain’t they good. There are some 24 police stations and all of them need attention.”
He reiterated his proposal that the police force should have its own maintenance unit, which could be seconded to other public sector agencies during periods of lower demand for their services within the constabulary.
“We have one of the most beautiful police stations in the Caribbean, and it’s embarrassing seeing plywood … knock up there,” he said, referring to the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kingstown.
Leacock, who is also MP for Central Kingstown, said the final count for that constituency in the Nov. 27 general election was done at CPS.
He said that while he had been at CPS before, he was there for an extended period during the recount, and was able to look at the situation in an intimate way.
“So, I looked straight ahead, where the sentry should be, facing the big street, … all the louvres are missing.
“And I spoke with an inspector there at the time. I said, ‘What’s going on up there?’ He said, ‘Major, we share our beds with the pigeons, the birds and other things.’
Leacock said that when he looked in the direction of Middle Street, “I was seeing some big man rat that decided ‘I live here. I’m not moving. One of us has to go but it’s not me.’”
Leacock said he was “straight up and honest with” the commissioner of police.
“.. he’s aware of it. He’s embarrassed by it. He doesn’t take blame, although he accepts responsibility.”
Leacock, however, said Williams is caught up in a dynamic in that because of the age of the CPS building, the National Trust has an interest in it, even as it is a police station.
“… you want to be able to do architectural repair that maintains that historical aspect of it — the bricks and mortar.”
He, however, said the newer section of the barracks has a different problem: mould.
The national security minister noted the videos that were circulated showing the sleeping quarters, bathrooms, and toilets at the Central Police Station.
“He (Williams) gave an explanation to that which I allowed to stay for the time being. But whatever it is, it’s not something that we can endure in the future,” Leacock told radio listeners.
“You know my position …: we cannot have people — policemen and or women — leaving their homes to serve the nation and to put their head at rest in the night in conditions that are less or worse than where they left their homes. So that has to be corrected immediately, and immediately they would,” he said.
“So, the police are going to find that in this minister of national security, they have a friend, and this friend will attend to their basic needs in the way that will make them comfortable and productive, police, men and women at the workstations.”