It has seen two murders in the last two years and more robberies than we can count but the area near the Palotti Roundabout should be that much safer tonight. That is because a new police booth was opened this morning and 7NEWS there.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning Commissioner of Police Gerald Westby and businessman Santino Castillo cut the ribbon to a new police booth at San Cas Plaza. The booth was built with money from Castillo and it will be staffed with officers from the Police Department. Castillo says it will be good for business and the COMPOL says it will be good for the community.
Santino Castillo,
"I think it will be good for everybody. I think it will be good for the community. As you know in fact, G. Mike mentioned that a few years ago a police officer was shot right across the street, Mr. Burns more recently was shot right across the street again, and at one time there was a police booth over there. So I believe it will help everybody. Primarily it will assist the businesses at San Cas Plaza where there have been many robberies. But I think it will assist the students and the entire community."
Keith Swift,
Will this police officer replace the San Cas security guard?
Santino Castillo,
"No, none at all. Our security force will stay on watch."
Gerald Westby, Commissioner of Police
"We have quite a number of students and the business community here, and people come to shop at the different stores and the Belcan Bridge is here like what I said earlier. So it is a strategic and important area for us to have a police presence."
The booth will be manned on a fulltime basis by Constable Alejandro Romero. It comes furnished with a desk and chair along with a water cooler. And as the department's top brass came out to open a new booth at San Cas Plaza, we couldn't forget existing police booths that have been abandoned. This booth on Vernon Street has been boarded up, the sub-station on Faber's Road is no longer open
for business, and when we checked - this booth in the Yabra area was also closed. There are at least two other sin the city just like these, COMPOL Westby says it is a matter of resources.
Gerald Westby,
"The booths have not been abandoned but because of the resources, we cannot readily put police there 24/7 but I am certain that from time to time, as soon as we get additional recruits, we will be able to have more police presence."
Keith Swift,
Why build a new booth if you don't have enough officers to man already existing booths?
Gerald Westby,
"We will work with what we have and stagger it at the different locations as the need may arise. Having studied crime pattern analysis, we can say when is the best time to put an officer until the resources are made available."
Keith Swift,
You understand why this is an issue, because some people will say that this booth is in this area because this is the north side and this is Sav-U and it is all about guarding Mr. Castillo's business interest.
Gerald Westby,
"I do not agree with that. As I said, that the booth is here but the patrols will be to patrol the entire area."
Patrols which residents in these areas now have to rely on for safety.
This new booth will be manned from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. The booth along with furnishing costs approximately $12,000. Castillo has agreed to pay the utility bills.
