Chanting "Support your local police" and "This building is unfit," police officers on St. Thomas said Thursday they will not enter the Zone A Building on Norre Gade any more.
We are prepared to take a strong stand," said Elroy Raymo, president of the Police Benevolent Association. "We will not go back into that building."
The remarks of the PBA officials came during a mid afternoon news conference outside the Richard Callwood Command, know as Zone A, which officers have avoided since the start of the 11 p.m. shift on Wednesday.
The PBA got support for its cause from fellow union bosses Glen Smith, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Federation of Teachers and Luis "Tito" Morales, president of the Central Labor Council.
Smith said the blame must be placed on the doorstep of the governor.
"This is just another chapter in the history of this administration mistreating its workers. Charles Wesley Turnbull is to blame for this," Smith said.
At issue for the PBA is the continued delay in relocating police operations from the run down building to the newly refurbished Criminal Justice Complex at Territorial Court. The union learned that a punch list of at least twenty items exists for contractors to complete at the Criminal Justice Complex before they can take occupancy. A lack of funds to complete the work is hampering the building's being completed. "It's going to be at least another year before we go to our home," Raymo said.
As Raymo and other union officials spoke to the press, motorists passing by on the well-traveled roadway honked their horns and cheered on the officers in support of their decision to avoid entering the command.
After holding the news conference, the officers and union leaders marched on Government House and on the Legislature where senators have agreed to meet with the union leadership in early April.
Raymo called on the administration to find police a station. "They will have to find us a place to work from," he said Thursday.
PBA officials contended that the current building is unfit for occupancy. They cited unsafe electrical work, infestation of vermin and other animals including iguanas. "Wires run on the floor, windows have no security bars or protective screens, and roofs leak," Raymo said.
