$70,000 Fence Sought For Joliet Police's Substation

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet City Council is expected to vote at Tuesday night's meeting whether to sign a contract with Alliance Fence to erect chain-link perimeter fencing around the Joliet Police Department's far west side substation at 7196 West Caton Farm Road.

City officials are proposing that the contract goes to Alliance Fence for $69,540 for the chain-link fence and privacy slats. Deputy Police Chief Sherrie Blackburn submitted a memo indicating that the west station stores all the Joliet Police Department's SOS vehicles and equipment as well as the department's crisis negotiator vehicles.

Everyone who works at the Caton Farm Road police substation must park their personal vehicles in an unsecured parking lot, allowing people to walk freely throughout the parking lot, according to Blackburn.

Last year, there were three separate incidents where citizens entered onto the parking lot "with the sole purpose of engaging officers in a physical confrontation," Blackburn wrote. One person roamed around the parking where personal vehicles, marked squads, prisoners are being transported and near the employee entrance.

"This parking lot is considered a 'soft target' due its remote location and ability for other officers to respond in the event of an emergency," Blackburn's memo advised.

According to the City Council records, Marchio Fence on Joliet's Rowell Avenue submitted a bid of $104,800 and Action Fence in Mundelein submitted a bid of $89,059; in addition to the lowest bid that came from Alliance Fence, which is in Joliet on South Frontage Road.