By Neto Baptiste
The hierarchy of the country’s police force says excess water at the Police Recreation Grounds (PRG) is a “big environmental problem”, adding that if the matter is not addressed soon they could lose the facility.
The venue has been plagued with the constant back-flow of water on the northern end of the field due to the blockage of a natural water way.
Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney, speaking recently on the Connecting with Dave Lester Payne show, said they have sought assistance from the relevant government ministries in an effort to rectify the problem.
“We have a big environmental problem, and we are hoping that we get help. We have been speaking to the Ministry of Works, we have been speaking to the environmental department because it is a place that means a lot to us. It’s not a government-funded place, it is funded by police officers, and over the years our forefathers invested a lot, and we do not want to lose that place so we are hoping that we get the help,” he said.
The facility, used as a training venue during the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup, reportedly began deteriorating shortly after with the reconstruction of the Sir Sydney Walling Highway and the construction of nearby buildings.
Rodney said that the issue has gone beyond what the police themselves can handle.
“So all of the water, and there are some other buildings at the back, so it seems as though we are losing our treasured police grounds, and police grounds have been a very important part of our police life as police officers, because that’s where we play our sports, so there is so much history that goes with that property. We hope we will get the help from both ministries [works and environment] in terms of addressing the problem. We have two officers up there trying their best to rectify some of the problems, but the problem is beyond them,” the commissioner said.
The police boss, highlighting the severity of the situation, said that they not only stand to lose the playing surface, but also the pavilion which houses dressing rooms, bathrooms and other quarters.
“What happens is that there was a way for the water to leave the grounds, and if you notice, there is a big establishment [at the back] and then you had the renovation of the road and that now prevents the flow of water, so all of the water that comes, instead of going down the road, it is coming back and it’s not only affecting the ground, it’s affecting the building, so it’s not that we are losing just the grounds but we might be losing the building itself. If there is some private sector entity that can assist us we want to make an appeal for them to come on board and help us, because we do not want to lose the police grounds,” Rodney said.
The Police Recreation Grounds was once the home of Premier Division football with matches being staged at the venue in mid to late 90s. The venue has also staged matches in the cricket association league along with numerous social and carnival events.
