What’s the Holdup?
Nearly a year ago, the 27th Legislature passed, and Governor John P. deJongh Jr. signed, Act 7013, which approved spending $450,000 to convert the former Wilson elementary school on St. Croix’s North Shore into a Police Substation.
At this writing, the building sits abandoned and deteriorating and those funds, nearly half a million dollars, sit unused.
The Act is clear on the need for the substation, stating that it would provide a permanent public safety presence to the remote LaValle area; that it would reduce the time needed to respond to an emergency in the area; and that a permanent presence would serve to deter crime.
Why then has no action been taken?
The need is screamingly obvious. Each day the news reports and talk shows highlight the growing fear in the community of unbridled crime. The criminal element is aware that their chances of success are greatly enhanced when help from law enforcement is so far away. More lives may be at stake when emergency personnel must travel long distances from other areas of St. Croix to reach the sick and injured. And in the event of fire, every second is critical in making the difference between rescue and destruction.
So what possible reason can exist for not moving forward? We don’t know.
What we do know is that if the decision has been made not to move forward with the project, the money should be reappropriated into some other action that will enhance the public safety on St. Croix. We have heard the claims of reduced funding resulting in a smaller police presence and the inability to pay overtime to keep officers on the street. Half a million dollars would certainly help address this issue.
And from a strictly monetary perspective, we all know that the longer you delay any construction or renovation project, the higher the cost will go. Additionally, another structure sits idle and abandoned, creating another haven for vagrants and criminal activity, when we are in dire need of facilities for some of our other social ills, including the homeless.
It just doesn’t make sense. The need is there. The money is there. The structure is there. If a decision has been made to abandon the project, as Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg alleges in the attached news release, then that decision should be communicated. It wouldn’t be the first decision this Administration has made that flies in the face of public need.
And the very next step is to immediately release and responsibly reuse the $450,000 being held hostage in this dormant Act. There are so many options that the lack of action leaves us with one question.
What’s the holdup?
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Whatever candidate for governor I support in the next election, I will become watchful and critical of him/her once they become governor. It is our duty to watch carefully all the time. We can’t just pick a governor and sit back trusting that they will always do right. They have to feel our constant scrutiny.
So what is the hold up on bringing the mobile sub station to Wilson School?
Good idea Anonymous. Here are some solutions:
http://webarchives.loc.gov/collections/lcwa0006/20021104125837/http://www.dejongharnold.com/issues.html
Senator Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg pushes de Jongh Administration officials to move forward with plans for a police substation and emergency services center on St. Croix’s Northshore Road.
Hear Senator Donastorg’s position on the substation and the de Jongh administration.
Interview beings after brief news clip on vehicle accident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWcbFT9VcUI
I started the cry for police presence on the north shore and was promised a mobile police station would be there last August when I went before the Legislature. This was after a robbery and severe beating at once of the local restaurants. My older neighbor has has numerous break ins. We who live on the north shore are sick and tired of being ignored as citizens of St. Croix. As you can see, nothing has been done. I have heard many excuses but all my calls to the Police Chief Benta were never returned. I would love all those that are truly interested in getting police protection out there immediately and then permanently with the renovations needed at the old school house, to be proactive and write letters to The Avis, The St. Croix Source, The Daily News and anyone else that might hear us. In addition, it would be a great topic for the Roger Morgan Talk Radio Show. We need to be united and loud until the promises made are kept.
I started the cry for police presence on the north shore and was promised a mobile police station would be there last August when I went before the Legislature. This was after a robbery and severe beating at one of the local restaurants. My older neighbor has had numerous break ins. We who live on the north shore are sick and tired of being ignored as citizens of St. Croix. As you can see, nothing has been done. I have heard many excuses but all my calls to the Police Chief Benta were never returned. I would love all those that are truly interested in getting police protection out there immediately and then permanently with the renovations needed at the old school house, to be proactive and write letters to The Avis, The St. Croix Source, The Daily News and anyone else that might hear us. In addition, it would be a great topic for the Roger Morgan Talk Radio Show. We need to be united and loud until the promises made are kept. This is a corrected version of the above comment.
Thank you for keeping up the pressure. I am going to make some calls.