PHILIPSBURG–Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever says he will sign the contract to repair the police headquarters next week. The Philipsburg police station and Simpson Bay substation are in dire need of repairs post-Hurricane Irma more than a year ago.

The final preparations are being made by the Police Force and the Interim Recovery Committee to issue the public tender for repairs to both buildings. Repairs to the lobby, entrance, roof and offices are some of the work to be contracted. Hurricane shutters and waterproofing will also be installed.

Chief of Police Carl John said in a recent media press release, “The officers of our Police Force, as well as our other emergency response personnel, worked incredibly hard in the aftermath of the hurricanes. Many suffered personal loss in the storms but put the safety of our citizens above any private concerns they had at the time. The fact that they still work out of buildings that are badly damaged is regrettable. I look forward to that being remedied with the allocation of these funds.”

“The repair works are part of the Emergency Recovery Project financed by the St. Maarten Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund. This project will also support improvements to the national emergency response and disaster preparedness system.

“It includes repair of critical public facilities and repair at four national agencies (namely the police, the fire service, the ambulance service and the meteorological service) and repairs of designated emergency shelters,” according to the SXM National Recovery Programme Bureau in December.

The minister did not say which contractor, how much the repairs would cost or how long the repairs will take place.

Bron: Daily Herald