Editorial: Upgraded station is overdue for police

This time next year, locals will see a flash new building getting ready to open in Fenton St.

It will be our new police station.

The $18.5million station will sit alongside the new $14.5million custody centre, which was opened in July 2008.

The custody centre houses criminals. The police station houses police officers.

Both were in desperate need of a new home.

Wind the clock back five years and you would have thought the old police station offices weren't even nice enough to house criminals.

Our police staff have been working in horrid conditions for decades.

Inspector Bruce Horne says in today's front-page story the old station was "awful". That word is kind.

Anyone who has been inside the old Rotorua police station will tell you - it wasn't a nice place to work. It was like a rabbit warren and was hot and stuffy in summer and freezing in winter.

The temporary station over the road has been an improvement and the new station will be world class.

Some people have posted negative comments about the flash design of the new-look station on Facebook, saying it is a waste of money and taxpayers should be upset.

But in my opinion, police officers deserve this new facility.

For too long our police staff have worked in shocking conditions. In decades to come, they still need to be working in suitable conditions.

Not only that, but a facility like this will do much to lift our tiring inner city.