After a few months of studying and listening to presentations both for and against the building of a proposed public safety center, I conclude a few things and offer my opinion as follows.

I’ll begin first by stating that I have visited every room and workspace in the police department and every room and workspace in the downtown fire station. I have spoken to employees of each department and I consider experiences from my own working years as well.

The city of Grand Junction has done their job well for the taxpayer throughout the years, by not jumping into the expense of a public safety center before the right time. However, Grand Junction is growing rapidly and is expected to continue this growth pattern for many years.

Black Sunday and the resulting meltdown of The Grand Junction economy in the 1980s was the result of an experiment with oil shale. The energy boom we now experience in the Grand Valley is productive, needed and expected to be long-term. It is not an experiment. Grand Junction enjoys its status as an attractive area for new industry, a vacation destination, a fine place to raise a family, and a near perfect retirement atmosphere. This all spells GROWTH.

The downtown buildings currently in use for the police department, fire department, communications center, evidence storage, training, security of both victims and detainees, are absolutely unacceptable.

I personally was present when a sewage leak from an upstairs area had occurred and landed on the desk of an administrative assistant. The swamp coolers sometimes work. Workspaces are inordinately crowded and the properties are rife with double-wide trailers, sheds, a WWII Quonset hut, parking problems and yet the city must still rent storage space from private storage companies off campus.

I do not believe that we citizens would tolerate similar conditions in our own work environment. I see no viable reason to deny our most valuable public servants a modern and efficient workspace. The estimated cost to taxpayers is $.75 per week for a limited time of just eight years. It should be emphasized that much of the cost will be absorbed by the business community and folks who visit from out of town. Imagine a modern public safety facility, underwritten in large part by visitors. This is one of the best deals we’ll ever have as taxpayers.

In addition to the benefits of a new public safety center, the citizens and businesses of the city of Grand Junction may also enjoy cuts in insurance premiums. Insurance rates are directly linked to the effectiveness of local public safety (fire and EMS response times and crime rates).

I personally do not believe our citizens want to settle for a “Mayberry” Junction. We will have exactly that if measures 2A and  2B are defeated. Let’s do the smartest thing and vote to be a city with up to date police, fire, and communications infrastructure.

Every citizen who is protected by a public safety service provided by the city of Grand Junction should expect, in fact demand, the most superior level of service. Superior public safety should be and usually is the highest priority in any municipality in this country. Citizens of Grand Junction should not squander this unique opportunity to join other cities of our esteem and rally now for superior public safety. I emphasize public safety. The only reason we have a police and fire department is for the safety of you and me and our children. Vote for a good deal. Vote “Yes” on 2A and 2B.

TED BOOTHROYD
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 8:30 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.