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The current Lakewood-Busti Police Department headquarters has been inadequate for some time. The time is coming soon for those inadequacies to be rectified.
As it stands now the LBPD headquarters doesn't meet portions of the state building code, Americans with Disabilities Act, state Commissions of Corrections standards, state Office of Children & Family Services standards to process youths separately and differently from adults, state Division of Criminal Justice Services standards for records retention, evidence handling and evidence storage; guidance from the International Association for Property & Evidence for proper evidence handling, state Prison Rape Elimination Act standards to prevent sexual violence in
detention areas and state Office of Mental Health standards requiring ligature-resistant design features for detainee areas to mitigate suicide risk.
So yes, something needs to be done. The question we have is whether or not this is a good time to look at the bigger picture of south county policing.
A study by LaBella Associates states the department needs 8,151 square feet of additional space – or 234% more space than the existing headquarters – with total project costs ranging from between $15,999,500 to $17,269,500, depending on which of three proposed options are chosen. LaBella’s preferred option would build a two-story, 14,400 square foot building in the northwest corner of the current Lakewood Village Hall property that doesn’t demolish any existing buildings, doesn’t acquire any new land and maintains historic building elements.
That's a lot of money for a relatively small – though busy – police department.
Lakewood has studied ways to solve its building problem, but in our opinion the village's study is too narrow. Approving a project like this in Lakewood essentially entrenches the south county's policing structure for decades – and we as a county need to start changing the way we do business. That includes how we provide police services. The Jamestown, Lakewood-Busti and Ellicott police departments do outstanding work in our communities every day, and they cooperate on a regular basis. We also know that finding officers has been a problem for local police departments over the past few years and the departments are dealing with many of the same types of issues.
We're sure we sound like a broken record at this point, but this is a good opportunity for Lakewood, Busti, Jamestown and Ellicott to get serious about talking about the future of south county policing and formalizing a possible regional police department.
The concept seemed sound in 2003 when Peter Sinden and Len Faulk of the State University at Fredonia Center for Rural Governance studied the concept of regional policing. We also know the cost assumptions and what people expect from their police department have changed over the past 23 years. But, the idea of cost savings in Dunkirk, Fredonia, Jamestown and Lakewood still linger in the back of our minds, as do Sinden's statements that we can improve police protection in the area as well by being able to offer more specialization.
Lakewood officials are looking at the work needed to bring the Lakewood-Busti Police Department headquarters into compliance with state codes and requirements as a problem. We see it as an opportunity to spark discussions that can reshape police protection in the south county.
Opportunity is knocking. Will we answer the door? Or will we continue with the status quo?