00:00That they close the police station door, turn off the light, and be inside there hoping
00:07that the criminals don't come at them.
00:09It's the statement that has sent shockwaves through the nation, and the Police Service
00:14Social and Dual Welfare Association is speaking out against it.
00:18We don't know where he got this information from.
00:20Again, I'm saying it did not come from the police.
00:24I'm certain of that.
00:25The statement did nothing for the moral of police officers.
00:30We are calling on the Prime Minister to revisit that statement.
00:37But the Police Association President is not denying that lights are off and doors closed
00:42at police stations.
00:43However, he says it is a security measure.
00:47When night falls, that said tint does not aid in visibility or in seeing outside.
00:55So do you need that?
00:56You can, behind the tint, still see on the outside.
01:01But when night falls, that tint itself debars you from seeing what goes on on the outside.
01:11And it debars you particularly if it is the lighting is on within the station.
01:20So you have to take off that light in most charge rooms so you are able to be given,
01:25you are able to see what is going on on the outside.
01:29So that is a security measure for the limited strength that you might have in a station.
01:35President Dixon clarifies that this does not equate to stations being closed to members
01:39of the public.
01:41I could go on record and say that our stations have been operated on a 24-hour basis.
01:49So members of the public have access.
01:51A closed door does not mean that it deters you or debars you from entering and making
01:58a report.
01:59And similarly, the door being closed does not debar you from even making a report via
02:06on the phone and getting a response via our 999 system and getting a response because
02:12someone will always, or we try to redeploy the resources in such a way that a response
02:18could be given to the members of the public.
02:21He notes that the police service is significantly understaffed but continue to go above and
02:26beyond in this state of emergency period.
02:29We are well over, two years ago we were over 1,400 officers short and I am to get some
02:35data today which will suggest that we are well over 1,500 officers short.
02:39He's calling on the Prime Minister to take action.
02:43Use this office to assist us to have the resources, particularly the manpower that is necessary
02:49that was promised from 2023-2024 budget, have that optimised so we will have more.
02:55And we will be able to be even more effective than we are at this point in time.
03:00TV6 News has reached out to the Prime Minister seeking a response.
03:04Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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