Redlands Police Department Council forms committee to quickly address facilities needs

REDLANDS - Mayor Pro Tem Pat Gilbreath and Councilman Mick Gallagher volunteered to form a subcommittee that will look into what options the city has in relocating its Police Department.

The subcommittee will be pressed for time, as the Police Department has been displaced for more than a month, and its efficiency is suffering because the department's personnel is spread out through the city.

"We are working on a very compressed schedule," said Community Development Oscar Orci. "There are serious efficiency issues that need to be addressed."

Orci said the subcommittee will be required to meet one or two times per week and need to come back before the council in January and present the options available to the city regarding Safety Hall.

Safety Hall, built in 1961, housed the Police Department's patrol division, records bureau, jail and dispatch center. The building also housed the Drug Court and police and corrections team and the city's credit union.

On Sept. 4, the Police Department began moving its personnel out of Safety Hall, a day after the council voted unanimously to approve the expenditure of $140,482 for costs connected to the relocation of the Police Department.

Most of the department's uniformed personnel have been moved to the second floor of Police Annex at 30 Cajon St.

The rest have been moved to either the west substation at 1150 Brookside Ave., or the North Substation at 1568 N. Orange St.
Advertisement
Click Here!

On Tuesday, Police Chief Jim Bueermann said the Police Department needs a home and needs it soon.

"I can't begin to tell you what a challenge it's been to not have a sufficient headquarters," he said.

In November 2007, cracks were found in concrete wall panels where the crossed steel beams are anchored. The beams supported the roof of the old council chambers, a room the Police Department plans to turn into a new dispatch center.

The city hired W Tan Engineering to conduct engineering studies on the building in preparation for the move.

Tan recommended additional work to design supports for the structure and repair or replacement of the wall panels.

The department closed the room to the public and began preparations for the repairs. The rest of the building, which was not affected by the structural defects Tan noted, remained open for police services.

In August, asbestos was discovered in the ceiling and floor tiles of the building at the beginning of construction for an earthquake retrofit to ensure the building's ability to withstand a strong earthquake.

On Aug. 5, the City Council authorized $41,000 to remove the asbestos issue while engineers studied the other structural issues.

During construction at Safety Hall, crews found roofing material in the building that created an extra burden on the structure, said Rosemary Hoerning, head of the city's Municipal Utilities and Engineering Department.

A city staff report said that construction at Safety Hall is on hold until the future of the building is determined.

During the discussion on Tuesday afternoon, Nelda Stuck, president of the Redlands Historical Museum Association, reminded the council that the Police Annex was earmarked in 2000 to become the site for the museum.

Since the annex, the old city hall, is being used by the Police Department, museum supporters have been in limbo.

"It's been eight and a half years since you designated the old city hall as the site of the museum," Stuck said. "We just wanted to put the museum back on your radar."

The council also voted to appropriate money to permanently relocate the Police Department's dispatch center to Fire Station 264 at 1270 W. Park Ave.

The council voted unanimously to appropriate $95,000 from the Public Facilities Fund to move the police dispatch center.