Smyrna’s Civics 101 Lesson: You Get What You Pay For
Smyrna goes to the polls today in a non-binding referendum that asks if the town would approve a slight tax increase to build a much needed expansion of the Smyrna Police Station.It will be interesting to see if Smyrna approves this non-binding referendum so close after another tax hike. From the News Journal article, a bigger police station is needed.
Years ago, the police department and its staff — 29 full-time officers and 14 part-timers — outgrew the current station, which is woefully out of code and meant to accommodate only 15 officers, officials say.
The station has not been renovated or built upon since its construction in 1988 and cannot accommodate wheelchairs. To make more space, the detective squad moved off site three years ago. Officers had to begin storing oversized pieces of evidence in a backyard garage.
The walls of closets in the station were removed to make room for more computers, a second dispatcher and larger network servers. Christmas decorations and boxes of office supplies crowd the women’s restroom. Specialized, temperature-sensitive gear is stashed in the shower stall of the men’s locker room.
Tags: Smyrna
harsh but that’s normal in some places. Will be interesting to see the outcome.
The voters operant conditioning regarding the term “tax increase” does not bode well for a the prospects of a new police station.
Can’t they do what kids in overcrowded schools do and work out of trailers?
I thought Christmas decorations were traditionally stored in the mens’ restroom?
Where’s the ACLU when you need them? What are they doing storing Christmas decorations in a public building?
LOL at cass– and I suppose the police don’t have the same cachet as fireman in raising funds for buildings:).
I myself am voting NO…..they want the Taj Mahal…..there are way more cost efficient measures out there. I was struck by the story in the NJ yesterday – the picture in particular….had the two officers stuck together like they didn’t have any room. If you look at the picture more closely, you can see that the two stations are quite a ways apart by the looks of the computer screen locations. Why do you need 8 holding cells? Seriously…..there isn’t that much crime in Smyrna….and they are skewing the statistics as well.
This should be a wake up call to the RWNJs in Sussex who want to “expand” the sheriff’s duties. It costs $$$$.