out a growing crime problem in the parish.

At a public meeting at St. Mary's Church last night organised by the Western Consultative Committee, Chief Insp. Sinclair White confirmed that he had identified two existing buildings as ideal locations to house the new station.

Chief Insp. White was responding to concerns expressed by Warwick West MP and former Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness that a greater Police presence was needed in the parish.

"What I would like to ask is if we can have a greater Police presence in Warwick,'' Mr. Edness said. "We need to have a Police station right where the action is -- people in this parish feel very insecure.

"We know it might not be the panacea but we think it will go a long way.'' Chief Insp. White, who heads the Police Western Division, confirmed it was something he had already looked into.

"We are looking at the Warwick Community Centre at the bottom of Khyber Pass and another building at the Spice Valley School,'' he said.

"These buildings have the capability to be Police stations and we will be looking into them.'' Although a satellite station was opened in Warwick just two months ago, it provides very basic facilities for parish constables. The new sub station would be fully operational.

Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay, who also attended the meeting, gave the project his backing, saying that another office in Warwick would allow Police to "provide a better service''.

"Every day I travel from Sandys to Prospect and it takes time,'' he added.

"If we had a sub station here we would have a stronger presence and we would be able to respond to the needs of the community. I hope it will come to fruition.'' Plans for the new station are still in the very early stages and no time frame for its completion has been given.

The initiative is just one of a number of possible solutions to the crime problem put forward at last night's meeting.

Residents were given advice on setting up neighbourhood watch schemes, told about the importance of crime prevention and put forward their own concerns and solutions.