Facility Proposal
The City of Des Plaines is considering building a new police
facility to meet the current and future needs of our community. This
is a major undertaking and many residents have raised questions
about such a project. The challenge today is to determine the
appropriate size and cost of a new Police facility and then put this
plan into action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a new Police facility needed?
The City Council has been considering the need for a new Police
facility since 2001. The current police facility was built nearly 35
years ago when the department had approximately 102 employees.
Today, the department has 130 employees within the same space – a
27% increase in staffing. The nature of police work has changed
since the current facility was built. The demands for computer
technology, crime lab and evidence handling, prisoner security,
meeting space and equipment storage has overwhelmed the capacity of
the existing building. The ability to adequately train our personnel
in a variety of homeland security and tactical situations is
severely hampered in our current layout. The current police
department has 20,000 square feet of space and is located next to
City Hall. According to the architects who have studied the space
needs, approximately 80,000 total square feet is needed to house a
modern, efficient police operation in a community the size of our
City.
What are other communities are doing?
Most communities in the Chicago area are facing the same problem
and many have already taken steps to resolve it. In the past few
years, Glenview, Niles, Orland Park, Streamwood, Mundelein and
Highland Park have all built new police facilities. Elk Grove
Village has begun construction, while Skokie, Palatine, Waukegan,
Northlake and Park Ridge are at various stages of the planning phase
for new police facilities.
How much will it cost?
The preliminary estimates for a new police facility place the
cost between $25 million and $30 million. The final cost of this
project will vary depending upon the additional cost of land for the
site ultimately selected and whether there is an existing building
that could be converted for use.
How will it be paid for?
A new police facility will be an expensive proposition and it
won’t be paid for all at once. Usually, public facilities like this
are paid for through a bond issue – with the bonds being paid off
over 20 years. It is similar to paying for a mortgage on a house.
The City pays a much lower interest rate on the money it borrows,
which makes it less expensive to pay for the building over time.
What are the next steps?
At this time the City is putting together the pertinent
information that is needed for the City Council to make an informed
decision on a new police facility. This information includes a space
needs analysis to justify the size of the facility as well as
construction and land acquisition costs. This information will be
discussed during the preparation of the 2008 budget.
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