INC NEWS - what I heard today

[RW Pickle]

We're already into the 2008-09 budget for our CCIP work. If you have the
time, you can attend one of these meetings (as an observer) and see what
specific departments are looking to do. They happen from 3-5 on Wed.
afternoons. Today was OEID.

We reviewed the scoring matrix for the Police, Fire, and Parks and Rec
departments at our meeting today (we met this morning). We always have
questions, and staff always tries to get us the answers. Below was the
answer to our wonderings regarding a Police Dept. request.

_____________________________________________________

? PD Facility Replacement:  The committee would like specific details of
what this request involves.

This is what we were told (via email, so this is just copied and pasted
here):

As to the facility project, we are anticipating developing three sites –
two satellite substations which would be called Neighborhood Policing
Centers (NPC) and one headquarters (HQ). The NPCs will each be about
19,000sf and the HQ about 100,000sf split between an admin/operations
building (68,000) and a supply annex of about 32,000sf.  To offset the
cost of new construction, we will eliminate our increasingly costly
leasing program, and either sell the City-owned PD buildings or convert
them for the use of other departments. Our actual development strategy
will be developed in the initial phase of the project, which is master
planning.  The PD Facility Report and Master Plan is the basis of the
project justification.  We are trying to decentralize sufficient staff to
NPCs so that a senior commander has the human resources to assemble
problem-solving teams to supplement patrol call-takers in addressing law
enforcement problems. Combining our District staffs would also allow us to
operate the NPCs as true walk-in service centers which our present
District substations are not.
____________________________________________________

This is the first time I believe any concrete thought process has been
rolled out for the future of law enforcement in this City. At least, it's
the first time I have heard it more specific. They trotted out a dog and
pony show with Hodge being the ringmaster, but it seemed to fade away
after a short period of time. So I guess this is what it has resurfaced
as... If you've liked having a substation in your neck of the woods, my
guess it is leaving...

RWP
27 Beverly