Officials Examine New Police Headquarters To Replace Antiquated Facility

If you want to see Police Chief Roderick Porter perk up, ask him to talk about a new police headquarters. The current building constructed nearly 60 years ago on Congress Street Downtown is a depressing labyrinth of antiquation and public safety frustration atop a small footprint.

Some areas requiring modernization include a technology area, training facility, interview and conference rooms, locker rooms, booking facility and storage, grieving room for the community and officers.

A new headquarters will also be an adrenaline shot for employee morale.

The City Council has approved $2.5 million from the capital plan as seed money to move the project forward. This is a large-ticket item that will be years in the making to identify a larger footprint, draw up plans and lobby infrastructure money from the state and federal governments, but discussions between the chief and mayor’s office have begun in earnest to bring the process to another level.

One possible location is the site of the former Ocean Sea Grill on Main Street Downtown across the street from the shuttered theaters.

What will this cost?

In 2012 the city of Hartford built a $77 million facility including a two-level parking garage.

Police headquarters upgrades in recent years have been by patchwork so discussion between the chief and mayoral personnel has certainly put a spring in his step for a new facility.