Police departments out of space

Police departments out of space

By Beth Wade Friday, 12 September 2008

The evidence room at the Hutto Police Department is cramped, four patrol sergeants have to share two desks and the department’s criminal investigation division is working out of cubicles when they should have private offices, Police Chief Harold Thomas said.

“We are totally out of space,” he said. “We are looking at some existing buildings that maybe we could rent for awhile. We just don’t know. We are going to have to wait and see.”

The department’s 2,500 sq. ft. quarters are located in the eastern portion of Hutto’s city hall, which opened in 2003.

The city hall facility was only meant to be a temporary solution for the growing city staff, he said, but now, five years later, the department is in a tight spot.

City staff is working on a facilities study and could hold a bond election in November 2009 to help build a new city hall and other facilities. Thomas said that would still leave the department with little space for two to three years.

“We really like the way Pflugerville’s department is designed. They built a building in 2003 for the future,” he said. “They had growth like this a few years back, and they are still growing. They built for a city of 100,000, and that is what we need to anticipate building for us to continue to grow. It is cheaper to build now than it is in the future. We are hoping to build a building that will accommodate us for the next 20 years.”

Thomas is looking to hire an additional four officers and add a crime technician position to the department that would bring his total staff to 31 employees. Currently the department calls in a different agency, such as the Round Rock police, to help with crime scene evidence gathering.

“Law enforcement works really well together in this region, watching out for one another,” Thomas said. “We share resources very well.”

The new position, however, will put more strain on the department’s space.

“To make room for the crime tech, if the council approves it in the next budget year, we will lease a portable building to sit out back,” Thomas said. “[We will have] to move all of our evidence storage out there to make room in our file room for a small lab to be able to do finger printing and stuff like that. We would store most of our files and evidence out there in a very secure steel building.”

Thomas said the department is interested in existing office space to lease short term for three to five years, while the city determines how it will expand its facilities.

Thomas said the department has to find another solution for its need for space. Whatever the solution may be, the department must do something, he said.

Georgetown police

With the opening of a new training and communications center last October and space in a substation in Sun City, the Georgetown Police Department’s need for space has been eased somewhat, Police Chief David Morgan said.

The police department has been operating out of its current facility at Martin Luther King Jr. and Eighth Street since 1985. The facility was once a water treatment plant.

“We just did a needs assessment where we had a group come in and give us our 20-year projection in terms of our growth for that period,” Morgan said. “They recommended about 55,000 sq. ft. That is a projection; growth could be faster or it could be slower.”

Once city staff knew the department would need a new facility, the next step was to determine if the city should purchase an existing space or look at new construction.

It was at that time that the city began seriously to consider purchasing the former Albertsons building located at Williams Drive and IH 35, which is approximately 57,394 sq. ft., Morgan said.

The city expects to close on that facility in mid-September, Georgetown City Manager Paul Brandenburg said. Once renovations are completed, municipal court will move in until the police department needs the space, at which time the city will have to readdress its facilities needs.

“We are working out of three buildings, but at some point in the future, we want to put everything under one roof,” Morgan said. “We are very cramped right now. We opened up the new training facility and communications center, and that gave us about 6,500 sq. ft., which gave us enough to make it for the next couple of years.”

Morgan said renovations could take 18 to 24 months.

The department currently has 78 sworn staff, 26 support staff members and eight animal control employees. Morgan said the department is recruiting to fill 12 vacant positions.

Taylor holding steady

Taylor’s police department moved into its current 7,500 sq. ft. location in 1999.

The building, which was renovated into a police station, was an upgrade from the department’s former headquarters, Police Chief Jeff Straub said.

“[Before] the police department operated out of the old city hall,” he said. “It had all kinds of leaks and other problems. We had to move, so this was an emergency stopgap measure, but it was approved by the voters. I think when they did this, they realized that this would not be a permanent home.”

The department has 23 sworn officers and four cadets in training who are expected to graduate Oct. 2. With the addition of the cadets, the department will be fully staffed. Including support staff, the department has 40 employees.

The station houses a two-cell jail that allows police officers to fingerprint and book suspects before transporting them to the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown. The holding cells are secured with bars, which are outdated, Straub said. It is more of the norm for those types of facilities to be fully enclosed, he said.

Although there are things in the facility he would change, Straub said he does not have any plans to expand or renovate the facility.

“We have looked at options,” he said. “We have to look to the future, and looking to the future, we have to explore our options for expansion.”

Police call volume and population growth- use graphic

Who to call

In the county there are numerous law enforcement agencies charged with protecting and serving residents, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife, police departments, sheriff’s and constables’ offices. These agencies are staffed with licensed Texas Peace Officers, who, regardless of their office, have equal enforcement powers in the State of Texas. Their primary responsibilities, however, are dictated by their department.

For nonemergency calls:

• Georgetown - 930-3510
• Hutto - 846-2200
• Taylor - 352-5551
• Williamson County - 943-1300

Police departments

Each city has its own police department that is in charge of law enforcement within the city limits. A chief, who is hired by the city manager, heads the department, which he staffs with sworn officers. The police department can arrest individuals, investigate crimes, patrol the city and enforce traffic laws. The police can enforce traffic laws outside of city limits.

Sheriff’s office

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is charged with serving the residents of the county with public safety services throughout the county. The sheriff, an elected official, has a staff of deputies who patrol the county, investigate crimes, maintain the jail and provide support services such as criminal records, crime victim assistance, traffic control and animal control. The office also participates in crime prevention programs, drug education and senior citizen safety.

Constables’ offices

One constable is elected to serve in each of the four precincts in Williamson County. The constable is an elected official as well as a licensed Texas Peace Officer charged with executing court orders from state and county courts, including criminal arrest warrants, protective orders, property seizures, evictions and mental health commitments. Each constable has a staff of deputies.