Ousman Sonko, the secretary of state for Interior, on Friday, presided over the official opening of the new Tallinding Police Station, on behalf of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, as part of the activities marking the 14th anniversary of the July 22 Revolution.

The new station comprises of rooms, a sub-office, two cells and a toilet, and was funded by the community of Tallinding, KMC, and the Gambia Police Force.

Delivering the inaugural speech on behalf of the president, SoS Sonko thanked the management and staff of KMC and the entire community of Tallinding Kunjang for complementing government's efforts by assisting in the construction of the new station.

"It is indeed gratifying to see what collective efforts and cooperation can achieve. I am not surprised by this accomplishment because it is a proof that the concept of community participation and police-community partnership that the government has always championed has taken root, especially in Tallinding.

It is a well known fact that the people of Tallinding are sympathisers and supporters of my government," he said.

SoS Sonko further reiterated government's resolve to bring the public service to the doorstep of ordinary Gambian, noting that the construction of this new station is timely, considering the population of Tallinding and its surrounding wards.

The Interior Secretary of State said the presence of the station will certainly reduce the burden on both the Serrekunda and Bundung Police Stations, as it will facilitate the operations of the police in their drive to ensure a crime-free Gambia.

SoS Sonko challenged the community of Tallinding to continue assisting the police in crime prevention, protection of life and property and the maintenance of peace and stability. He suggested that one way of fulfilling this duty is by furnishing the security forces with timely and relevant information on all suspected criminal activities in the jurisdiction.

For his part, Ensa Badjie, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), recalled that Tallinding Police Station was headed by himself when it was opened in September 2000 and they had recorded 400 cases in six months.

"[But] with the relentless efforts of my staff and the community, the crime rate has dropped drastically due to the joint night patrols conducted on a regular basis in the area. I realised that the government is paying a lot of money on rented properties, which prompted me to negotiate for this plot of land from the people of Tallinding," he said.
IGP Badjie commended President Jammeh for his visionary leadership and thanked all those who contributed to the accomplishment of the project.

Yankuba Colley, the mayor of KMC, said his council was aware of the high rate of criminal activities, which prompted it to engage in the project.

"Police in this generation have a difficult task to protect property and capital interests in the face of growing and more sophisticated forms of criminal conducts. We live in the age of armed robbers, pedophilia and organised fraudsters, who are fraudulent enough to steal millions from bank accounts thousands of miles away from a location," he said.

Mayor Colley thanked the community of Tallinding and individuals who had supported the initiative, saying that this will go a long way in boosting government's efforts in providing security to the ordinary citizen.

The ceremony was also attended by members of the Cabinet, security chiefs, Honourable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the majority leader and NAM for Serrekunda East, and residents of Tallinding.