Acknowledging that the current police department building is in dire shape, the Tiverton Town Council voted Monday to form a working advisory committee that will look into whether there is a need for a new public safety facility in town.

The committee’s work will include a review of potential locations, size, costs, and how community needs could be incorporated into the final design. The committee would also be charged with finding grants that could eventually be used to fund an in-depth study of the project. In an interview last week, Tiverton Police Chief Patrick Jones estimated that while there is much to do before accurate numbers come into focus, he estimated a new building could cost $20 million.

As for studying the issue, he told the council Monday, “there is definitely grant money out there to not only fund a study but to hopefully fund a building or multiple buildings, depending on what direction we want to go."

“I don’t envision it to be just a police department with a jail cell and a fire department with a garage to house the fire trucks. I definitely think there needs to be a community element.”

In describing what that would look like during an interview earlier this month, Jones said the possibilities are endless.

“Everything related to safety and enforcement could be consolidated into one central location.” 

Jones envisions a facility that would attract various segments of the community by offering amenities such as:

n Meeting spaces of all sizes to be used by local civic or non-profit groups, the municipal court, municipal boards and commissions, and the police department’s mental health partners.

n Emergency shelter during major weather events. Currently the middle school is used for this purpose because it’s the only suitable building with a generator.

n A flu clinic that would be used to administer shots as well as provide storage space for vaccines and personal protective equipment.

n A safe space segregated from other parking area on the property where parents could take their teenagers who are about to get a learning permit and need to practice parallel parking.

“It would be a one-stop shop for the community,” he said.

The police department at 20 Industrial Way was built in 1977. Jones said when it was built, it was looked upon by the community as a Taj Mahal, because it was occupied by only 12 police officers. Today, the department has about 60 employees, including sworn officers, professional staff, and part-time employees. It has long been too cramped, tired and inadequate, he said.

Jones said an architect who walked through the building to offer advice on some minor upgrades to the dispatch area advised that given the age of the building and its layout, it would make sense to use existing grant funds for an immediate fix to the dispatch area, but it would not be prudent to invest any additional funds into the building.

The dispatch center presents a particular challenge, with men and women working in a dark, confined space measuring about 10 by 10 feet. Some of them work as long as 16 hours a day, the chief said, responding to emergency calls.

“We’re at a tipping point,” Jones said. “And I think the council sees that too.”

The committee will consist of about 11 members, to include representatives from the police, fire, and public works departments; the town administrator and a town council member (both ex officio) and community members. Formal approval will come at a future date, once the town solicitor has drafted a resolution authorizing establishment of the committee.