#ICYMI: State of Norwood police barracks behind the station a shambles
NORWOOD - There is no cleaning, maintenance and security services there.
The living conditions at the police quarters behind the Norwood Police Station are a disaster waiting to happen with a building looking untidy, unsafe and in disrepair, posing a serious health hazard.
The North Eastern Tribune previously reported on the police’s living conditions in March last year, however, the situation remains the same, if not worse, a year later.
The nine-story building, which houses some of the officers stationed in the area, has no proper maintenance or a security system, as anyone can go in and out of the building as they please.
North Eastern Tribune visited the quarters on 4 April and discovered that there were no apparent cleaning or maintenance services offered at the building.
Waste material could be seen dumped on the ground rather than in designated bins.
The grass, about one-metre high, remains uncut making the police’s residence unsightly.
Old scaffolds still remain as supporting structures to some parts of the building to show that the building is supposedly not completely finished.
Entering the building, one has to climb the dirty, cracked stairs, with old untidy paintings on the walls, as the lifts are not functioning.
The windows on the side of the building are broken with no burglar bars, resulting in a safety threat to the men and women in blue who live there with their families.
Electric wires remain exposed from the switches which pose a life-threatening situation to the most vulnerable group in the building, the children.
Norwood Police Station Commander Anna Jojisa, said she is aware of the poor conditions and has launched her own investigation.
Jojisa said the Department of Public Works had been hired to restore the building. She said the department is renovating the building and seeing to all the painting, plastering and other major services. However, when the paper visited the area there was no sign of workers.
When asked about the security, Jojisa said, “I have only been here three months and I understand there was security before but it was removed. That is the reason I have launched my own investigation and it is still ongoing.”
She then referred the paper to the Gauteng Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Lungelo Dlamini who, when contacted earlier, referred the queries to Jojisa.
“I do not know how much officers pay to stay there. The money is deducted from their salaries by the provincial office. The place is not a permanent residence and every three years, members have to renew their applications to prolong their stay there,” concluded Jojisa.
Details: Norwood Police Station 011 483 4609.
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