By Tabora Bojang
Police chief Abdoulie Sanyang has ordered the closure of 3 minor police stations rented by the Gambia Police Force to house some posts.
The Farato, Latri Kunda Piccadilly and Brikama Nyambai police posts are said to be seriously dilapidated, affecting the lives of the officers and general policing duties in the areas concerned.
According to a police statement issued yesterday, the appalling state of these posts was detected by the IGP during his ongoing nationwide tour of security installations.
“Some of them (police posts) definitely are not fit for purpose and they are not even with toilet facilities forcing officers to scavenge for places to ease themselves. In some instances, roofs and ceilings are leaking, making life and general policing uncomfortable for our personnel, especially during the rainy season,” the police disclosed.
The police added that despite efforts to ensure necessary renovations are done at these stations in consideration of the ‘exorbitant rent fees’ the landlords ‘do little or nothing to improve such dilapidated facilities.’
“Based on this backdrop, the IGP decided that police posts in Farato, Piccadilly, and Brikama Nyambai be relocated to a better and more suitable environment, fit for a police post within the same community. Equally, he stressed for regional police commands to quickly engage community members for the purpose of identifying suitable places for police services to be restored in those communities within the shortest possible time. The public is hereby re-assured that measures are also put in place to intensify constant patrols within such communities in order to curb crime and ensure safety and security for all.”
