Wakefield Approves $8 Million To Address Police Building Needs

Wakefield Police Chief Richard Smith could have told the people seated in front of him to get their hands up. Instead, he spent almost two hours pleading, explaining, and asking that they do so voluntarily.

On Day 2 of Wakefield Town Meeting, Smith's plea for desperately needed repairs to the police side of the Public Safety Building were heard and 168 residents raised their hands Monday at the Galvin Middle School in support of the police. Just 41 voted no, meaning the town will appropriate $8 million to repair a 68-year-old building Smith said was too small, too dangerous, and too confusing from the moment you walked into the Union Street facility.

During a PowerPoint presentation Smith detailed building deficiencies that he noticed almost as soon as he took the job in 2004. With the dispatch office on the second floor the lobby was usually empty. "It is so confusing, they don't know where to go," said Smith of anyone entering and looking for help. Smith said in many ways if a resident needed help they were better off going to a nearby store and calling 911 rather than walk into the station.

Space was so tight that offices had become storage closets, roll call rooms were two small for daily briefings, locker rooms were unusable, and guns were stored in an unsecured part of the building. When bringing prisoners into the building, an outside door had to remain open because there wasn't room to unload prisoners from a transport van, a situation Smith called, "very dangerous."

You might think that Smith's description of what his staff must deal with every day would be enough for a quick decision. But many in the auditorium were concerned about what other capital expenses lie ahead for the town (new high school, DPW, etc.) and too many remembered 2004.

That was the last time the Public Safety Building was remodeled and the result gave the fire department added space but the $10 million project left the police side of the building virtually untouched. It was money not well spent.

"The town 14 years ago failed you," said Town Councilor Ed Dombroski. "I respect and appreciate the skepticism."

"It's a shame we've gotten to this point," said Councilor Peter May.

Because of that, more than 30 residents spoke, many opposed to throwing more money at the problem. Others asked almost silly questions, one resident asking if the garage where prisoners are taken is too small, why not get a shorter van. Another inserted how Portugal handles drug addiction cases into the discussion. After two hours of talk and finally being reassured that taxes would not go up if the article was passed, a motion was made and Smith got his $8 million request.

The next article didn't take as long to discuss but Town Administrator Steve Maio called it, "the most exciting article I have presented to this body." It involved senior tax relief, much like Reading seniors enjoyed for the first time last year. Crafted by Town Assessor Vic Santaniello, who is also Reading's Assessor, the article will provide property tax relief to eligible Wakefield seniors. Last tax season 182 Reading seniors took advantage of Santaniello's work and paid less taxes. The tax break seniors would receive would be paid for among the remaining tax payers and average just $25 per household. After a few questions, it easily passed.

If you were waiting for Articles 13-25 then you left disappointed. It's back to Galvin on Thursday for Day 3 of the Wakefield Town Meeting.

Photo by Bob Holmes