BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
POLICE officers and their families living at the Police married quarters next to the Police Club are voicing their concerns over the RSIPF leadership over an incident on Thursday last week which has left their families terrified.
Thursday last week residents were shocked when a group of expats in military fatigues came with excavators and started digging near their homes telling people that they were beginning demolition work.
Argument sparked between police officers and workers who came to dig, it was reported.
All the houses between the police club and the road going up to Ngossi are earmarked to be demolished to give way for the new police college complex funded by Australia, proposed to be completed by July 2028. The new police academy is part of the AUD $190 million Australian support over four years to grow and strengthen the local police force.
Around 30 families living in the earmarked area have been put on notice to move out, either relocate to another police accommodation or rent out, a senior official in the police executive office told Island Sun yesterday under condition of anonymity.
The residents were given notice in January this year to move out by the ending of May, 2026, so that work could begin on the new college project, the official said.
However, to date, residents which include actively serving officers and retired ones continue to remain, the official said.
So, early last week, a notice was given out informing residents that survey work will commence last week before the surveyors were deployed on Thursday last week, the official said.
Meanwhile, a resident speaking to Island Sun on condition of anonymity said they had not received any notice prior to the arrival and digging of the workers.
The police officer said their families were scared by the presence of expats in military fatigues who accompanied the workers who came and dug near their homes.
He described the situation as unacceptable and said it reflected a lack of concern for the welfare of officers and their families.
“Our wives and children were traumatised because no one told us this was going to happen. We were completely unprepared,” the officer said.
“The administration should have respected us enough to give us notice and make arrangements before sending in machinery.”
It is understood since the directive early this year for police officers and their families to move out, many have remained for a number of reasons.
One is retired officers who are still occupying houses, blocking accommodation for serving officers. RSIPF admin has been struggling to have them leave the houses.
The senior police official told Island Sun a lot of the officers cannot move out because they have been struggling to find available houses for rent nearby.
“These officers have their children attending nearby schools like St John, Bishop Epalle, Tamlan, but the only houses available for them to afford to rent are as faraway as Mt Austen, Henderson, and other places at the outskirts of Honiara, which will be huge inconvenience for them. The houses available nearby are beyond how much these officers can afford,” the official said.
The official said they are working to resolve it amicably with the affected officers and residents, but that work on the new college project must begin soon this year in order to meet the July 2028 deadline.
Photo: Supplied
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