Residents Sound Off On New Bethel Police Station

Whether you agree or disagree with with the need to build a new police station, one thing is certain-- people in Bethel are passionate about issues within the community.

If you’ve driven by Judd Ave. and Route 302 recently you’ve seen the large neon green lighted sign urging residents to “Vote No.”

If you’ve been online, you’ve seen the “Enough is Enough, Vote Yes” photo many officers and supporters made as their profile picture on Facebook.

Last year Justin Hurgin created a Facebook page that has been used by many residents and officials to share news and information. When issues such as the crematorium, a new cell phone tower, a new gas station or in this case, a new police station come up, the site is a hub of information.

Here are a few of the public comments made for those who are not part of the group:

Cathy Flight Murphy December 15 at 11:13am

“People have a right to vote how they see fit without bullying people into a corner to get their way, i have witnessed this today already, this town is turned into a complete divided of hatred for people who do not agree with them. I have been getting things thrown on my lawn and nasty messages, oh i was pinned under a heavy sign that fell on me on my moms front yard and could not move, a guy drives by and says “thats what u get for voting no!!” And another yelled out of his Subaru it was my fault school violence will happen by having a sign up...Are there no more gentlemen left in this town? who fights with women viciously if they dont get their way, our “mayor” should respect the last vote, but he told me he will not stop having referendums until it passes, what? Thats not a community to me all, very disturbing, it’s all true, no lying here!”

‎One resident took a more tongue-in-cheek approach:

Jay Smith‎ to The Bethel, Ct Forum - A Social, Economic and Political discussion 18 hrs ·

“Vote no for a new PD!!!

The new 400,000 square foot building will house an explosives testing facility as well as an RPG range. Police cars will be doing 125mph through the school zone to respond to calls to fight against Megatron and the rest of the Decepticons!!!!! The new building will be an eyesore in an area that not too many people are familiar with, is it the fields, the dead end or somewhere near Judd lane??? Who cares, what I do know is that if the PD is built there will be 2000 plastic yard signs all over the area that will never be picked up ever again. We’ll be forced to stare at them and complain about them for years!!!

Children will have to share textbooks with dangerous criminals that the new prison will now house, I heard Isis and Al Qaeda prisoners will be transferred from Gitmo to the new PD just because it’s gonna be sooooo BIG. Also forget about ever getting your roads paved, the 7000 space parking lot will consume almost every minute of the bethel paving crews and guess who’s gonna have to pay for all that asphalt, Berry school! That’s right Berry school, so long new books and computers, new desks pssh we have a parking to pave.

If the new PD is built it’ll attract more coyotes as well, bringing another danger closer to our children and schools. And every street sweeper we own will be occupied sweeping up all the sand from the huge parking lot as well as all the marijuana that police confiscated from people buying from the goddam dispensary!!! Just marijuana everywhere like confetti on New Year’s Eve.

All of these facts have been checked and double checked and it’s time the town of bethel stopped lying to its people. Please I urge you to vote no to the PD. If you vote yes the terrorists win.”

And a “Vote Yes’ supporter said:

Penny Mendelson KesslerDecember 15 at 3:58pm · Bethel, CT

“Between today and Thursday, lost amidst what could be (and sometimes is) a reasonable discussion, naysayers of our town are going to spin and deliver misinformation and dis-information. They are going to try to convince people that reality is fantasy (and vice versa). They will do and say anything to ratchet up fear and anxiety. They will use names like “sheeple” and “merry men” to describe the men and women - volunteers and professionals alike - who have given hours and months of time to work on the proposed police station. They will provide false and misleading economic information, ratios, conspiracy theories. They will disingenuously ask, “How come we didn’t build this years ago?” knowing full well that it was similar tactics of negativity that helped bury the votes of the past. They will blurt out, “Well, no one told us ...,” and “no one listens to us ...” when the reality is that this project has been repeatedly put out for public discussion and conversation. They will claim they are being bullied and not permitted to voice their opinions, when in fact all that they are being asked to do is back up their versions of truth.

Enough. It’s time to do the right thing for our police department and the town.”

Thursday voters will decide whether officials should invest $13.5 million to build a new police station on a town-owned property located on Judd Ave. near the high school. The referendum is one year after voters shot down the $14.1 million version of the original plan.

Supporters of the project say the current police station on Plumtrees Road was built on a swamp, is too small, floods during heavy rain and has had raw sewage back up into the building.

Those who oppose the new station say it is too large, too expensive and too close to the schools.

Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015 at normal polling places:

• Districts 1 and 4: Town Hall
• District 2: Stony Hill Fire House
• Districts 3 and 5: Berry Elementary School

Click here to find your polling place.

More about the proposed plans can be found on the town’s website by clicking here.

Read more viewpoints on the new police station by clicking links below:

• Opinion: New Police Station is ‘Not Extravagant, Not a Palace’
• OPINION: ‘It’s Time to Vote ‘NO’ Again’
• OPINION: Proposed New Bethel Police Station is About More Than Location, Size or Cost
• Bethel Police Chief Responds to Critic of Proposed New Police Station
• Bethel Teen Makes Video to Encourage Voter Support of New Police Station
• New Police Station Opinion: ‘Vote Yes To Get This Done’