Re-opening of the White River Police Post

The re-furbished Police Post at White River in West Honiara was re-opened on Monday 23rd November 2015 at a ceremony which included the Commander of the Participating Police Force (PPF), Greg Harrigan, as the guest of Honour, the Commissioner of the RSIFP, Frank Prendergast, the Assistant Special Coordinator of RAMSI, Mr Masi Lomaloma, White River community and church leaders and members, members of the RSIPF and PPF and local community members.The old White River Police Post was run down and infested with white ants, which had damaged the roofing structure of the building. The building was last refurbished more than twenty (20) years ago. Years of water damage from flooding had rendered the toilets, showers and sewage system unusable.The new post was funded by the PPF at a cost of $1.29 Million SBD. It includes extensive ground drainage and earth works to alleviate flooding issues, Bio-Cycle environmentally friendly sewage treatment, two 5000 Litre rain harvesting water tanks, an open plan internal work area and a Leaf Hut for meetings and breakout sessions.The new White River Police Station was built through a funding agreement where the PPF provided funding to the RSIPF who managed and implemented the construction process, working in consultation with the PPF.The RSIPF managed all contractual arrangements and liaison with the builder, Millennium Constructions.The re-opening of the post signifies a milestone for the RSIPF and the community, who welcomed the improved policing presence the post will provide.The post will be staffed by officers from Honiara as well as officers from the Guadalcanal Province, who will be in a better position to respond to incidents in West Guadalcanal.The post will also improve contact with the community, as the RSIPF progresses with the Crime Prevention Strategy, which depends largely on engagement with the community to prevent crime before it occurs.The RSIPF Commissioner stated during his address that the Post was a resource for the Community, not just the RSIPF, and welcomed all community members to attend the station to discuss crime issues, solutions to prevent crime, or report issues in the community.A number of other infrastructure projects are currently underway to support the RSIPF, including construction of a new Fire Station at Central, a building for Forensics and Human Resources at Rove, a facility for the National Response Division at Rove, as well as a number of projects in the Provinces.