West End station reopening nears, cops to share space with Customs, Immigration
Customs and Immigration officers based on the western end of Tortola have been offered a space at the West End Police Station when the facility reopens.
Police Commissioner Michael Matthews said the “virtually fully restored” and is hopeful the station will be ready by next month.
“The contractors are still working on some final bits and pieces there,” Matthews said while speaking on public radio recently.
“I think that [the station’s reopening] will give greater reassurance to the people living in the western end of Tortola, certainly, that we’re not just operating out of a single base in Cane Garden Bay as we have been for some 15, 16 months now.”
One of the reasons for deciding to house Customs and Immigration at the West End-based station is, essentially, to create “a greater presence of those agencies” in that part of Tortola, Matthews said.
“As you know, the West End Ferry Terminal is still not anywhere near where it needs to be and they (Customs and Immigration) face unique challenges themselves in terms of trying to deliver their vital services at that end of the territory.”
Like the aforesaid terminal, the West End Police Station became inhabitable after sustaining major damage from the September 2017 hurricanes.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
FOREIGN WORKERS ARE IMPORTANT: One of the biggest complaints I hear from business owners is the difficulty of getting skilled wokers. So many absolutely depend on being able to bring in foreigners and restricting this simply chokes these operations from being everything they could be. Their success brings income to many others in the community and provides valuable needed services. Lets not make this any harder for them.
how will customs and immigration do their duties clearing in people if they are located 3 miles away from the ferry terminal? Please tell me they have thought of this!
I think that it would serve as a home base for the western end of the island while they utilize the trailer that they are currently occupying. If they did nothing it would be a problem, they did something and its still a problem.
With Andrew in power, all of this will soon be rectified.
Hold on, West End; Hold on!