Police Substation Not Coming To Powder Mill After All

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Plans for a new police substation in the Powder Mill section of Parsippany have been scrapped, township officials announced on Facebook. The location will instead be used to house the fire prevention and housing departments.

First announced by previous mayor James Barberio, Mayor Michael Soriano's administration cancelled the plans after a further review found it to be unnecessary, they said. Police Chief Paul O. Phillips said crime and foot traffic were too low in the Powder Mill area to warrant a police substation.

"Considering that neither high crime or poor quality of life are issues for the Powder Mill area, the maintenance of a substation at that location would not be an appropriate use of our limited man power," Phillips wrote in a letter to the Business Administrator. Phillips had supported the substation when it was first announced.

Phillips also cited lack of manpower as a barrier to opening up a substation. The department currently has 104 officers when they should have 113, Phillips said.

"We must deploy our limited resources in a manner most appropriate for the safety and benefit of all township residents," he wrote.

Instead, the leased location at the Powder Mill Plaza will be used to house the fire prevention and housing departments.

"For years, these departments have been squeezed into tight quarters at the Parsippany Community Center. In moving to the Powder Mill Plaza location, the Community Center will have more parking spaces for our residents and more working space for our staff," the administration said.

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