ST JOHN’S, Antigua – “It is an old building. It is in dire need of repair and it is an insult to the people in Barbuda, especially the police who live and work there.”

Those are the views of one police officer who is calling on the authorities to either repair the pest infested Barbuda Police Station or find new and proper accommodation for his colleagues.

The complaining officer, who was moved from the unit in recent years, expressed concerns after reading last week’s report by OBSERVER Media Group about shortage of staff at the station on the sister isle.

“It saddens me to know the situation because I worked under the very same conditions. We had to buy everything at the station, excluding the desks and chairs and it was unfair to take people from comfortable homes in Antigua to work in that environment in Barbuda,” the officer lamented.

The law enforcement officer said two officers shared a bedroom and none of the rooms occupied by the seven or eight officers were adequately furnished.

“I had to keep my clothing on my bed to prevent the ants getting to them. We had to share our rooms and that leaves no room for privacy, everything is in the open. Cockroaches, termites, all kinds of pests are in the building,” the police source revealed.

The two-storey property used by the police was reportedly built in the early 1940s and has been repaired on numerous occasions. The station was moved from the building in the early 2000s but returned there in 2007 after it was treated for pests.

The source said all the authorities have knowledge of the situation, including the national security ministry and the Police Service Commission.

The officer further stated the matter was discussed with the commissioner of police and the Police Welfare Association but nothing was ever done.

(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)