Senior cop tells residents pray Lluidas Vale station opens this year

Construction of the new Shady Grove Police Station in Lluidas Vale is almost complete and a senior police officer, Inspector Ishmael Williams, is mulling the prospect of the facility becoming operational before the year ends.

“For those who are prayer warriors, just pray that they (cops) go into that beautiful building before the year ends,” he recently told residents during a community meeting at Top Hill in the Lluidas Vale police area of St Catherine.

The video below shows inside the new police station:

The old police station in Lluidas Vale

No date has been announced for opening of the police station, which the Jamaica Constabulary Force has been building for about two years. The project initially was scheduled to be completed in November 2017.

When The Beacon visited the new facility late last week, a workman noted the progress that has been made. “The inside is finish already; just some work to do on the outside,” he said.

The following photos show areas of the ground floor of the new police station, including the lobby area from different angles:

A walk through the new building shows that the area containing two cells and a bathroom for inmates is apparently in need of some finishing touches.

The relatively small cells are located on the ground floor – near the area where the jail was located before the old station was demolished. The ground floor also has a reception area, and what appear to be office spaces.

The following photos show the cell area located on the ground floor:

A staircase leads to the upper floor of the building which essentially is the living quarters for police officers. A workman said the upper floor has four rooms. It also has bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a balcony.

The following photos show sections of the upper floor of the new police station:

There are obvious differences between the new station and the old one. Ceramic tiles have replaced wooden floors, concrete has replaced wooden walls, and concrete also has replaced the zinc roof. A perimeter wall is being erected where barb wire and hibiscus plants once stood.

The police, during construction of the new station in the town centre, are operating from a building in a remote area of the community, beside Lluidas Vale Primary School. Some residents believe the current remoteness of the police has resulted in more criminal activities in their community.

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