5 days ago
Expansion, safety concerns drive plans for new West Springfield Police HQ
WEST SPRINGFIELD ― As a new fiscal year begins, West Springfield Mayor William C. Reichelt is taking steps to modernize the community's police force.
Reichelt plans to hire an architect to evaluate the Walgreens site next door to City Hall, believing it offers more space than the department's current two floors in the municipal building.
Police Chief Jay Gearing says a new police headquarters is needed to better serve the community and support officers.
During a recent tour of the department, The Republican observed cramped conditions at the headquarters, which is spread over three floors with crowded rooms and non-compliant spaces.
For instance, a black box with sprawling cords, described by Gearing as 'the pulse' of the West Springfield Police Department, sits in the middle of a floor, vulnerable to foot traffic.
The box houses a computer system that connects with other law enforcement agencies.
'If it were to be unplugged or bumped offline, Boston or Quincy would be calling within 15 minutes,' he said.
The computer system lies within the department's records room, which contains paper files dating back to 2018 that Gearing said the department is sorting through. 'Court cases can drag on for many reasons, and we need access to the paperwork,' he said.
The records area should be dedicated and secluded from the public, but when the town acquired the building in the 1970s, those standards did not exist, Gearing said.
The department has been managing with the current setup, but the building's limitations are becoming increasingly apparent, Gearing said.
'We know what we need to do as far as amenities and space in work areas, but the footprint is behind,' he said.
The proposed project comes as the community is working to expand the ranks of officers as well.
The town uses a company to prescreen and test candidates for the police academy, moving away from hiring officers outside of the civil service system.
Reichelt said this is the first time in the last 10 years the town is close to fully staffing the department.
'Taking officers out of civil service has helped the department recruit faster and replace them more quickly,' Reichelt said.
With the department nearing full capacity of around 74 sworn officers and 15-18 supervisors, Reichelt said the department will expand the traffic, narcotics and detective bureaus.
The department has six detectives, three sergeants and added a lieutenant position last year. These officers work on the third floor, while patrol and other departments are on the first floor of City Hall.
Reichelt said the last upgrades to the detective bureau were in 2017. He said it isn't best practice to split the department across two floors.
'They have to go up two flights of stairs, and there is a disconnect with the first-floor patrol,' Reichelt said. 'There is no room for growth. If they want to change something, we have the space that we have.'
Gearing says the lack of a radio system on the third floor is a major issue, as it's standard for police departments.
While the first floor has a radio connected to a speaker for everyone to hear dispatchers, detectives on the third floor must carry portable radios to hear calls for service.
The department is contending with a shift to major crimes like homicide, manslaughter, shootings, stabbings and sexual assaults, Gearing said.
Existing interview rooms on the third floor are a significant concern, Gearing said.
When police have someone in custody, they have to walk them through City Hall's main doors, take a public elevator or climb three flights of stairs to the interrogation rooms.
'It is not good for business, it is not good for suspects, it is not good all around,' Gearing said. 'It is a practice we want to get away from.'
Storage in the evidence room and narcotics areas is clean and organized but packed to the ceilings. 'Were quickly approaching our limit,' Gearing said of available space.
Everything from guns to sexual assault kits dating back to 2016 are stored. While the department is purging unnecessary items, evidence for people with outstanding warrants is kept until their capture.
Fireworks, guns and ammunition must be disposed of by the state police bomb squad. But sexual assault and murder kits must be kept forever, Gearing said.
'The courts are busier too, so that slows us down in purging things,' Gearing said.
Sgt. Michael Reid, who oversees the traffic bureau, investigations and administration, said that while working in the former boiler room, converted in the 1990s, he can hear conversations and toilets flushing from both City Hall restrooms.
'I can barely hear the men, and the women's voices are muffled,' Reid said.
The room is decorated with playful signs that say 'Don't mind the grunting,' to keep the atmosphere light for residents, he said.
A few weeks ago, after a tragic motorcycle accident, the noise made things uncomfortable. Reid had to warn the family about the noise. 'It is their privacy too,' he said.
'We should be able to have residents come into a nicer setting,' Gearing said.
For a long time, only one woman worked as an officer in the department. Now, the department has nine. Because of limited space, the women's locker room is in a supply closet.
Gearing said the women officers, who are part of a union, recently filed a complaint with the town about the conditions. They decided to drop it for now, hoping for a new headquarters.
'It could rear its ugly head again if something happened and the project fell through,' he said.
On the way to the men's locker room in the basement, a former fingerprint room is now used to store records. It has flooded twice and is growing black mold.
The men's locker room is bigger, but has no showers. It is dark, dank, dusty and far from everything in the building. Only 25 officers use it, the chief said.
'Most all modern police departments now have proper locker rooms because officers encounter biohazards on the job and don't want to bring it home to their families,' Gearing said.
Recently, a committee considered the Walgreens site for the new headquarters. Reichelt sees value in keeping all municipal offices close together to maintain their connection.
'Whatever is done, I want to make sure it is affordable and best for the community,' Reichelt said. 'The police risk their lives, and what kind of value are we investing in the people who quite arguably go out every day with a chance they might not come back?'
Gearing said morale in the department is excellent, but believes a new facility would improve it.
The chief recalls being hired in 1996 and starting a midnight shift. 'I went to roll call, looked around, and said, 'This place is a dump.''
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