THUNDER BAY – Sylvie Hauth says the time has come to consider either replacing or renovating police headquarters.
The newly installed police chief is asking permission to issue a request for proposal for a facilities replacement needs assessment to help determine the current and future space needs for the department and whether a new build is needed or if the existing facility can be renovated to meet the TBPS’s growing needs.
Hauth said the building is at capacity, with staff numbers up 31.5 per cent over the 244 that were employed in 1987 when the Balmoral Street building first opened to the public. A second storey was added in 1992, by which time there were 265 people working at the station.
Today that number has ballooned to 321.
But it’s more than just cramped quarters, Hauth said.
“There are lots of issues in terms of functionality, and it’s really trying to keep up with the demands, in terms of things that need upkeep, and bigger ticket items such as the roof, for example, the generator, those kind of things,” Hauth said.
The chief said she plans to present her report to city council on Jan. 14.
“It’s really asking them for the next step, and our next step now is really looking at a (request for proposal) process to hire a consultant to look at a needs assessment for a new building,” she said.
“What we will do is we’ll look at the current building and really analyze in terms of where we’re at, what we need now, but what we’ll also require in terms of future needs.
“The needs assessment is a comparator, to see if we are good in the building that we have to retrofit it to meet our current needs and future needs, or is it better to opt for a different building, a brand new building that will meet standards and meet our needs in the future.”
There are plenty of gaps in the current facility, the report to council concludes.
Surveys have shown public access and experience is mostly negative and doesn’t foster positive interactions with police. Public meeting space is within the confines of the secure zone, which is a cause for safety and security concerns, the cells, which moved over from the previous Donald Street headquarters in 1985, are outdated, and prisoner releases occur through the public lobby, which may violate privacy laws and poses a potential security threat.
Additionally, office space isn’t ideal, evidence and property storage space is at a premium, there are energy efficiency concerns and there is no room for future expansion. Finally, a number of key departments, notably forensic identification and emergency task force unit training, have to be conducted at other locations because of space limitations.
“When you cumulatively look at all the issues, they tend to grow and compound, so we’re at the point where we need to say, before I go to council to say I’d like a new building, let’s at least hire somebody who can look at the pros and cons of current versus new and use that as a stepping stone,” Hauth said.
It’s expected the study will cost $175,000 to conduct.
There are no cost estimates for replacement or a retrofit, but TBPS does have a $4.3-million renewal plan projected for 2020 to meet storage needs and improve the lobby, watch commanders office and offices for traffic, cyber crime and criminal records search.
