GLENDALE : Police Headquarters Study to Be Unveiled

A consultant next week will present his study on the need for a new Glendale police headquarters that could cost between $18 million and $21 million.

The consultant, Jim McClaren of San Jose, is scheduled to unveil to city officials on Tuesday site options and several possible floor plans for the proposed facility.

The Police Department has outgrown its current 34-year-old building--where boxes of records and equipment are stacked in hallways for lack of storage space and officers are forced to share offices, said Lt. Jim Swinford.

The number of police officers and civilian personnel working in the facility has almost doubled--from 170 in 1960 to 325 in 1994. Police facilities receive more wear and tear than other office buildings because they are used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Swinford said.

While researching his report, McClaren interviewed most Police Department personnel to include their input on how offices should be positioned in the proposed structure, Swinford said.

The report calls for the proposed structure to be built at $160 per square foot and suggests the facility be built for a 40-year life span.

The facility should encompass 115,000 to 130,000 square feet given staffing levels and projections of population growth for the city, Swinford said.

Councilman Larry Zarian said although he’s certain the city needs a new facility, he is unsure how soon a new structure should be built and how large it should be.

“It’s important that an organization like the Police Department have proper facilities, the question is ‘What is proper?’ ” Zarian said.

The city will hire another consultant to study financing options if the council decides to continue its research into a new police headquarters, Swinford said.