A New Police Station for Guinea Grass Village
Minister of State for the Police, Elodio Aragon Junior says two police stations are to open in the Orange Walk District. The first is in Guinea Grass where residents can feel a sense of security now that the police station is functional with two officers. Today, an official opening ceremony was held and News Five’s Duane Moody has that story.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It has not been operational for some time, but today, after some much needed retrofitting, the police station in Guinea Grass Village was officially reopened. The facility will be permanently manned by two officers, including a corporal of police, who will provide services to villagers who would have otherwise have to travel to Orange Walk Town for police assistance. Minister of State with responsibility for the Police, Elodio Aragon Junior says that the village is one of the most populated in the Orange Walk South division and the permanent presence of law enforcement provides residents with an added sense of security.
Elodio Aragon Jr.
Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State, Police
“It is very important because a community as large as this one requires the security forces to be readily available. So I feel very good about that. I know that this station has been closed for a while because of the ongoing renovations. And of course, you know it all comes down to funding—finding the necessary resources to be able to prepare and have an adequate place for our police officers to operate from. So today’s renovation has now seen two police officers posted out here that will be working full time out here in this community. They have a motorcycle with them to operate from here and commissioner is making out arrangements to have another cycle posted out here so that they can have the transportation they need to patrol in this village. It is very important to security for everybody. And I think every community having a police substation with police officers, I think, goes a long way.”
Now, according to statistics, the Orange Walk District did not contribute to the major crimes in 2019, but the station as well as other community police work, is expected to further reduce crime. The reopening of the newly refurbished station comes at a time when ComPol Chester Williams is on his nationwide tour.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The station is self-sustained. In terms of the village, we are moving away from one man station. We believe that having one police officer at any police station is not conducive to the officer’s health and safety. And so we are now having a minimum of two police officers at every substation across the country. That way the officers will be able to support each other as they conduct their daily tasks. The Guinea Grass area, we have seen a few incidents in the past and with the station now reopened, the officers will be able to do proactive policing with a view to see how they can prevent things from occurring within the village. And so we are pretty optimistic that the station will service the people of this community very well and it will enhance the relationship between the police and the villagers.”
According to Aragon, a groundbreaking will take place in March for the construction of a new police station in Carmelita Village, which will serve the five villages in the Orange Walk East division. Duane Moody for News Five.
