It is hoped that a newly-built station in Daru town will boost the morale of police officers in the small town of Western Province.
Bank South Pacific (BSP) staff in Daru decided to refurbish the small container office after seeing that the old facility was in dire need of repair.
BSP Daru branch manager, Ivy David, when handing over the key to the Daru police, said: “In respect to women and children in the community, BSP is pleased to support the cause in providing a safe and secure environment for the people.
“Building a cop shop in the heart of Daru town will mean that services will be closer to the community. It will be beneficial to residents in terms of laying complaints,” she added.
Western Provincial Police Commander, Chief Insp Silva Sika, said: “We are very thankful to BSP and urge residents to make use of the services and most importantly, work with our policemen and report crime.”
This was an important step for the staff in this close knitted community, made possible through BSP’s community project initiative.
The project included the replacement of the container with staff volunteering to assist in painting, construction of the walls and laying out the foundation for the floors.
“The new cop shop would create visible policing, more resources for residents. Residents would not have to go out of the area but instead report crime on their doorstep,” Chief Inspector Sika said.
“We can’t thank BSP enough for taking the initiative in providing a place for policemen to be stationed and assist the general public during the day and also at night.”