HOPES that a freshly revamped police station in St. George's could be operational within weeks have been dashed by sources close to the development.

Last month Works & Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess (pictured) reiterated his earlier prediction that the new station would be up and running some time between the end of this month and the beginning of September.

But with that deadline just days away, work on the dilapidated facility has yet to begin ¿ and one insider confirmed that the project has been hit by further snags.

The source did not reveal the cause of the delay or provide a new completion date for the project ¿ but did say that the deadline had been put back.

The new station has been shrouded in controversy since closing down at the beginning of 2007, and became a political football in the run-up to last December's General Election.

On a campaign tour of the East End last November, Public Safety Minister David Burch assured residents that they would have a police presence in the town "within months".

But that promise was dismissed as electioneering by the Opposition United Bermuda Party. Sen. Burch's pledge came just days after the UBP made the same promise to voters in the key constituency, who are currently being policed by officers operating out of a substation in nearby St. David's.

The UBP also pointed out that Government gave similar assurances in the run-up to the 2003 General Election ¿ but had done nothing to fulfil that promise in four years.

Some preliminary gutting on the York Street station was carried out by casual workers employed in Government's Hustle Truck programme during the election campaign but there has been no activity onsite in months.

In March, St. George's Mayor Mariea Caisey raised residents' hopes that progress was being made after she met with Works & Engineering officials.

But she also acknowledged that the officials were unable to tell her when work upgrading the complex would begin.

And in mid-April, Mr. Burgess insisted that the station would open "within four or five months" ¿ a timeline he confirmed to the Mid-Ocean News last month.

When told about the potential delay this week, UBP leader Kim Swan, who is also MP for St. George's West, said he was disappointed by news of further delays.

"Last November Government said the facility would be open within months," he said.

"Well, even if they kept to the deadline of mid-September, that's getting on for almost a year ¿ and it looks like they are not even going to be able to make that target. Reports of further delays will push us in the fall at the earliest. When can we realistically expect a return to our fully functional service?

"This police station might not be the biggest capital project in the works but it is very important to the people of St. George's. Community policing is an ideal best achieved when the police are actually in the community.

"In addition to the summer months when our community plays host to thousands of cruise visitors and crew, we also have a vibrant local community of 5,000 residents and a World Heritage designation that both require and expect a community police station.

"This delay highlights once again Government's complete inability to deliver capital projects on time and under budget. It also shows a complete disregard for the people of St. George's.

"Government is full of promises when it wants something from those constituents ¿ their vote ¿ and then seems quite prepared to put those promises on the backburner once they get that vote.

"Are we going to have to wait until the next General Election rolls around before anything gets done about this?

"Government's continued delay must be questioned. We hope they will deliver on their broken promises ¿ and make it a priority."

This week the Mid-Ocean News contacted the Ministry of Works & Engineering seeking confirmation that progress on the project had been derailed and what new timeline for completion, if any, had been set.

The Ministry did not respond to our questions by Press time last night.