Police insist they are committed to a 24-hour presence in St George, however manpower shortages continue to limit the station’s operating hours.Chief Inspector Hashim Estwick told peolpe at a recent town hall meeting that St George’s police station is “technically” open 24 hours a day.“There are some unfortunate events when people expected that the station would be open and it wasn’t open, and I apologise for that,” he said.“I want those doors to remain open 24 hours a day. We are committed to keeping it open.”However, he noted that when the station was open, the vast majority of people wanting assistance were visitors asking for information.He also said that work was underway to allow remote viewing of CCTV cameras in the town from Southside Station, and that officers have been carrying out more regular patrols in the area.However, that statement was refuted by town crier David Frith, who said: “The other day I came down to the square and I found a policeman down there and I thanked him. I congratulated him.“Then he told me he was there because there was a photo shoot that day.”The station was formally closed in 2007 due to deterioration of the ageing building, which was said to be infested with termites.It reopened in 2009 but with operating hours limited to 8am to 8pm. Many East Enders, including Mayor Kenneth Bascome, called for the station to be open 24/7.Earlier this year it was announced that 24/7 policing at the station returned although Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva admitted then that it closed occasionally due to staff shortages.“St George’s Police Station is staffed by a civilian station duty officer (SDO) 24 hours a day to handle routine enquiries from members of the public,” he said in September.“Community Action Team officers work out of the station, but they do not work 24 hours a day. From time to time, the station is closed temporarily when we are short of staff, particularly SDOs.“For these occasions, there is a telephone outside the station that connects the caller to Southside Police Station.”At the town hall meeting, Corporation of St George councillor George Sutherland said a person recently came across vandals in King’s Square, but couldn’t tell police because the station was closed.CCTV cameras had recorded the entire incident, and the footage has been given to police, he said.Mr Sutherland stressed the success of community groups in policing the area, noting that one such group has had some success in tackling a graffiti problem.“Because of their input to police, the culprits were identified and dealt with,” he said. “Unfortunately another incident has taken place, but hopefully there will be a similar outcome.”