Belleville Police Celebrate Grand Opening of New $ 26 Million Headquarters – Kingston | The Canadian News

The grand opening of the new Belleville police headquarters took place on Saturday morning, 11 months after the police moved in.

“This is something the community has been waiting for a long time,” says Belleville Police Chief Mike Callaghan. “And we are incredibly proud to be in a position to have the grand opening and we are very fortunate to have been able to do so within limits and in compliance with legislation surrounding COVID and physical distancing.”

Speeches, tree planting, and plaque ceremony were followed by tours of the upgraded facilities.

The 67,000-square-foot building sits on a nine-and-a-half acre lot, making further expansion possible as the city and police force grow.

Chief Callaghan says the update was long overdue.

“The old building had 92 structural cracks in the foundation,” says Callaghan. “I had seven different heating and air conditioning systems that didn’t talk to each other, we had little space and we couldn’t have members of other law enforcement services come in for meetings let alone for joint forces training opportunities. such as operation problems.

“That’s why by having this facility, we can do that. And that’s why you’re looking at the numbers we currently have regarding the incredible work done by our drug unit and the renewal of the project. “

The chief of police says that the possibility of reducing costs as much as possible was considered.

“We have training capabilities in place that will help us reduce our budget when seeking training for our members, both sworn and civil, as we move forward.”

Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk attended the opening ceremony, participated in an opening ceremony and delivered a speech on stage.

“As Mayor of the City of Belleville, I am proud to say that our police service is as important to us today as it has been to us for the past 231 years,” said Panciuk, addressing the crowd that could only be invited .

Callaghan says the project cost a total of $ 26 million to complete and was nearly two decades in the works.

“When you look at the cost of surveillance, across North America, it’s one of the highest, it’s one of the highest or most expensive budgets in any community,” Callaghan says. “And while we are always trying to make sure that we are being frugal with our money, we need the community to understand that the whole concept of community safety is not necessarily expensive, but it is priceless. And it is something that we are very, very fortunate to have here in our community, and something that we want to preserve ”.

Final approval of the concept design for the new headquarters came in 2018, and officers moved in last fall.

“This is a building about community,” says Callaghan. “This building has a community boardroom … which is a dedicated nonprofit boardroom that they will be able to use in the future. And we want that environment of having a welcoming approach to the community. Because, after all, this building is about community. “