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Halton police will be getting a new headquarters by Bob Mitchell Special to the Beaver 7 | Thursday, January 29, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Halton will be getting a new police headquarters. Regional council agreed Wednesday to provide the $65 million needed for construction of the project, which Police Chief Steve Tanner insists is absolutely necessary. "I hoped to be in a new building by 2015 when I became chief in 2012... now if we get shovels in the ground this spring we'll be lucky to be in a new building by the end of 2017," Tanner told council. "We are not adequately served by our current facility... "We need the facility. We needed the facility four or five years ago. A delay would definitely be problematic." Mark Scinocca, Halton's finance commissioner and regional treasurer, said there will be no impact to the taxpayers because funds will be recovered from development charges and retiring debt. Once the new headquarters is built, police will move out of the existing headquarters attached to the Regional headquarters on Bronte Rd. Despite approving the project, several councillors remained concerned about being asked for more funds in the future because of cost over-runs. Others gave their approval even though they didn't have a complete business plan in front of them as to what happens with the existing space now used by the police. Staff, however, have been given until next October to provide a report listing future options for the regional space once police leave. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, chair of Halton's Police Services Board, assured councillors Chief Stephen Tanner they are getting the best bang for the buck. Initially, the board was considering two buildings at a cost of $100 million, Burton told council "But because of the high quality of our new chief and his staff and working very hard with a sharp pencil, we managed to create one building for $65 million with no direct net impact to taxpayers," Burton said. Once the police exit the existing headquarters the former police space will likely be used to accommodate growing regional needs. The Region must still decide whether to renovate the existing police HQ for its needs or simply use the space as is and rent other space for additional needs down the road. Tanner previously told members of Halton's Finance and Administration committee that the existing police headquarters didn't meet the long-term needs of future policing. But the new headquarters is expected to serve policing requirements until at least 2042. The new headquarters will include an upto-date forensics lab and modern firearms training facility. Most specialized units such as homicide, intelligence, identification and drug units are now at other police divisions, including the relatively-new 20 Division in Oakville on Dundas Street West near Trafalgar Rd. But these units plus administration, property and evidence storage, and other specialized units will be under one roof in the building planned on Region-owned property immediately south of the existing Children's Safety Village. The new facility will also include heightened security measures, storage areas for specialized tactical vehicles and tactical weaponry, firearms, tear gas as well as a modern forensic lab space to better serve crime victims in court. January 12th - February 12th Award Winning Italian Cuisine Private Dining · Corporate Functions · Family Events Taste of Clarkson 905 822 5751 www.michaelsbackdoor.com 1715 Lakeshore Road West Ski & Snowboard event BenefiTting the new Oakville Hospital PRESENTED BY: SPONSORED BY: