Berea detectives abandon crumbling offices
Bird lice and a falling roof are just some of the issues Berea police detectives had to contend with over the past two years.
AFTER two years of working in deteriorating working conditions, Berea detective branch staff have had enough and abandoned their offices housed in a once quaint home at the corner of Lambert and Lillian Ngoyi (WIndermere) Roads vowing not to return until the building has been made habitable.
The Berea detectives who walked out of their decrepit offices last week said they had been complaining about their working conditions for two years, but their complaints had fallen on deaf ears.
A police officer who spoke to Berea Mail on condition of anonymity said the conditions were completely “unethical.” “We have had complaints of bird lice, wood borer and the roof is in shreds.”
He said something needed to be done as a matter of urgency and hoped that both the powers that be and community could come together with a solution.
The abandoned building on Lambert and Lillian Ngoyi (Windermere) Road is a visible eyesore.
Broken windows, a running tap, broken floorboards, broken ceiling fans and a leaking roof have added to the dismal conditions detectives have had to contend with over the past two years.
Since abandoning their offices, the nearly 30 detectives have been housed at the Berea police station in Botanic Gardens Road. However, this has put added pressure on police staff at the cramped station and is hampering productivity and cramping workflow.
“They are in our way and using our computers. There just isn’t enough space for all of us here,” said one member.
Colonel Nathaniel Kweyama, Station Commissioner at Berea SAPS admitted that service delivery was hampered to a certain extent with Berea detectives utilising office space and resources. “Our officers are compromising to fit them in just to ensure that all police work continues and the public doesn’t lose out on having their cases investigated. We are looking at other avenues to house the detectives,” he said.
Colonel Jay Naicker, spokesman of the provincial SAPS said, “In terms of the Berea detectives offices, we can confirm that the Department of Public Works has already been on site and are attending to repairs to the building. Meanwhile, detectives will be housed at the Berea Police Station until the repairs are carried out. In terms of lease agreements, maintenance and repairs, all queries should be directed to the Department of Public Works which is responsible for all government owned and leased buildings.”
