BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Almost one year after it was scheduled to be completed, Minister of National Security and Prime Minister of the Federation, Dr. the Honourable Denzil Douglas has indicated that construction of the Dieppe Bay Police Station is almost complete.
While speaking at his weekly radio programme, “Ask the PM”, Dr. Douglas said a number of problems were encountered but the relevant government ministries are working to complete the project soonest.
“The police station in Dieppe Bay is near completion. We’ve had a number of problems. As you know, it is being pursued with the assistance of the government of Mexico. We’ve had some slight delays especially in moving the project forward. However, the government is (working) on quickly completing the project there...
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Finance are working very closely with National Security to complete the first phase of the project which is the construction of the Dieppe Bay Police Station...We are trying our best to complete this project. It shall be completed. We shall overcome the difficulties at the moment that we face. It is only a matter of time it would be completed.”
The National Security Minister said the Dieppe Bay Police Station, when construction is complete, will serve as a multi-purpose security facility to the different law-enforcement agencies in St. Kitts Nevis.
“...We’ve already taken a decision as well that that particular police station will become a multi-purpose security facility. It will be able to lend services to the Customs Department, services also to several other units within the police force...The St. Kitts Nevis Defence Force would also have the opportunity to use that facility as an off-base so that they can support the police in carrying out their specific operations.
“We understand, at one stage, that the Canine Unit also will have a presence there. In other words, we want to make sure that this particular police station in Dieppe Bay becomes a multi-purpose facility for security purposes and not just the regular police station that it has been in the past.”
On May 4, 2007, a ground-breaking ceremony signalling the commencement of the construction of the “multi-purpose security facility” was held and as expressed then by the Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and coordinator of the project, Superintendant Ivor Blake, the project was to have been completed in an approximate year.
He indicated that US$689,740 which equates to little more than EC$1.84M was sourced from the Mexican government to construct the reinforced concrete, two-storey, 10,000 sq. ft facility which sits just opposite the Dieppe Bay Primary School.
Roland Stanley was contracted to oversee the construction of the facility.
The previous structure was ravaged by Hurricane George in 1998 and in the following year, it was deemed inhabitable. Officers who operated therefrom have been operating from the St. Pauls Police Station.
The construction of the Dieppe Bay Police Station the first phase of a project which also includes construction or renovation of the Tabernacle Police Station which is currently in a state of disrepair.
