Police Station in San Pedro Columbia Inhospitable

The police station in San Pedro Columbia is inhospitable. This is according to Toledo West Area Representative, Oscar Requeña, and the pictures he showed parliamentarians on Friday during the Sitting of the House of Representatives. Speaking on the adjournment, Requeña called on the government to immediately rehabilitate the police station which he says has been nonfunctional for the past several years. He also expressed concerns that the village has been without a police officer for more than a year.  Requeña says that the officer’s absence has led to the increase of crime, specifically robberies.

Oscar Requeña

Oscar Requeña, Area Representative for Toledo West

“The police station has been absolutely abandoned and neglected for the last three years. It is a total deplorable condition and I am going to present the exhibit here in a little while, Madam Speaker. You know we have not had a police officer stationed in San Pedro Columbia for the last year and a half. Robbers have increased in San Pedro Columbia and it is a pity my good friend is from Rural South is not here who is the Minister of Tourism. There was a robbery at Lubaantun because a month and a half ago, there was a robbery at Lubaantun in which over eight tourists were robbed of their personal belongings and their lives were endanger at Lubaantun. But the police could not respond from San Pedro Columbia because we do not have a police station there. They can’t live there.”

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Area Representative for Collet

“I was on the acting Prime Minister’s tour. He accompanied at least in one or two legs of the tour in the portion happened in the Toledo district especially in his portion of the Toledo District. Not on one occasion, not in Corazon Creek, not at Julian Cho at the auditorium did he raise the matter of the Columbia Police station. And I want to put him I don’t only visit these areas when it is campaign time and I could point out instances to show you that you are immediately not truthful but I’ll leave it at that.  I was in Pueblo Viejo consulting for the new high school that is going to be built there. As he pointed out, just in the month of September in Corazon Creek, in Big Falls. So it is gimmicks when you say that we only visit when it is time for campaigning. No campaigning was going on at that time.”