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Town of Southold officials are taking steps to turn years-long plans to build a new police headquarters and courthouse into a reality.
The Southold Town Board voted unanimously at its March 26 meeting to retain engineering, construction and land surveying firm Nelson and Pope to develop plans for a new police headquarters and justice court in Peconic. The town will pay the Melville-based company $528,000 for its services. Town Supervisor Al Krupski, Councilmen Jill Doherty and Brian Mealy, Police Chief Martin Flatley, Capt. Steven Grattan, Building Maintenance Supervisor Tim Abrams and Town Engineer Michael Collins met with representatives from the company on Tuesday to discuss their vision for the new complex.
“They are now working on a timeline for the progress of the project,” Krupski said in a phone interview after the meeting. “We have to survey the property so we know exactly where things can go.”
In September, the town council voted to purchase a 3.47-acre parcel of land west of the existing police headquarters from Peconic resident Scott DeSimone for $1.4 million. Ms. Doherty said the town expects to complete the acquisition next week. A new police headquarters will be built at the rear of the property. Once police department staff move into the new building, the police department’s former headquarters will be razed to make way for the courthouse. All court proceedings are currently being held at the board’s town hall meeting space. During court sessions, police often had to guide handcuffed defendants through metal detectors into the chamber, which is just feet away from various town office spaces, including those of the assessor, town clerk and town supervisor.
“This town is growing rapidly, but our infrastructure is not,” Ms. Dougherty said in a phone interview Monday. “To me, the safety of City Hall staff and guests is the motivation for updating our infrastructure.”
The new, larger headquarters will allow the police department to receive official recognition from the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services. Standards the department has previously been unable to meet include requirements for secure storage of evidence and recovery of property.
“There is a real estate room [when the building was first built] “We created an evidence room downstairs in the building,” Mr. Flatley said. The official explained that the state has strict standards for property and evidence storage because “evidence is at risk of contamination and damage.” [being] Unable to stand trial. “
The new facility will also allow for sufficient space to create separate cells for male and female offenders, as well as appropriate interrogation and interview rooms equipped with audio and video recording equipment, as required by law.
“Now, if we have to question someone in a criminal case, we have to send them to [Suffolk County Police Department’s 7th precinct] Or Riverhead Police Station,” Mr Flatley said. “we do not have [interrogation space] Currently established at our headquarters, we hope to meet this need. “
Mr. Flatley said he has requested that the new headquarters’ property and evidence storage space, holding cells and processing areas be built in separate areas from the building’s administrative areas, where civilian employees, including emergency response dispatchers, work.
The timetable and final price for completing the new project remain unknown.
“As construction prices change — and by changes, unfortunately, I mean increases — it’s going to be difficult to predict,” Mr. Krupski said.
The town will also address several smaller infrastructure upgrades in the near future, including installing ADA-compliant restrooms at the Peconic Town Recreation Center, the superintendent said. He added that there are “mechanical needs” that the council must address, “starting with the HVAC system.”
“These things take time,” Mr. Krupski said of the upgrades. “It’s in the pipeline, but it’s not going to start tomorrow. We’re trying to estimate and determine next steps… Just like your house or any other building, the infrastructure needs have to be met.”
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