Why does Templeton need a new Police Station?

The Templeton Police Station, located at 33 South Road, is undersized and inadequet to serve our growing community. Built more than 60 years ago, the building was formally used as a state welafe office. Through special legislation, the town aquired the property from the state and, in 1991, the police department moved into the building.

The police station is 2,400 square feet (including basement space) and is located in a primarily residential neighborhood adjacent to an elementary school. A survey of Templeton's public safety buildings completed in 1997 by the Carell Group, Inc., an architecture firm located in Hopkinton, MA, indicated the building to be spacially inadequet to meet the demands of its use. As stated in the report, "The station is otherwise seriuosly inadequet to serve the needs of the police station. The spaces throughout are much too small." Some specific issues are noted below. Clicking on an issue will show a picture of the problem.

• Almost a total lack of security, including solid doors, bullet resistant glass, etc.
• Basement ceiling height is too low per building code. Despite this, the basement needs to be utilized because of severe space limitations.
• No lock-up or proper booking facilities.
• 911/Dispatch equipment and computers stuck where space available. No climate control or security.
• Extremely small office and dispatch area.
• Poor space for general storage and evidence storage.
• Poor staff support facilites and no accomodation for female staff.

The fact that the current police station does not have a proper or secure booking room nor a lock-up, puts Templeton in violation of Massachusetts state law requiring that municipalities of more than 5,000 people maintain their own lock-up facilites. This shortcoming costs the town money. With 149 arrests in 2007 that equals 149 times Templeton had to use someone else's facility for booking and lock-up. On average, that is three times a week. This results in the town paying overtime to the officer as well as the additional fuel costs required to transport prisoners to be held overnight or on a weekend when they cannot be bailed. The town is then forced to use State Police in Athol and/or Leominster, Gardner, or Winchendon depending on who has room. If a prisoner can be bailed, they are held in Templeton however, this presents a major safety issue as moods can change in an instant.

The size and configuration of Templeton's police station alone prevents the department from becoming accredited. If the department was accredited, the town's insurance rates would be significantly lower.