The repair bills continue to pile high for the aging Sarnia Police Headquarters. After a failed bid to fund a new facility, the Sarnia Police Service Board (SPSB) now says it needs $3.5 million for urgent repairs to the existing station. “There hasn’t been any money spent inside the police services building. Not just the last three years, it’s been a lot of years. But there’s been no major investment into that building,” said SPSB chairperson, Kelly Ash. Broken concrete, rusted rebar, orange cones, yellow tape, and a long metal barricade greet visitors to the Christina Street headquarters. In August, the Ontario Ministry of Labour ordered the stairs to be closed. People are now directed to enter the building via the ramp next to the stairs. Ash says that out of the $3.5 million dollar projected costs, the stairs alone will cost $1 million. That’s because they form part of the actual structure of the building. The problem was explained at a recent SPSB meeting by Deputy Chief Mike Van Sickle. “In the best possible terms, if you were to scrape away our stairs, you’re going to look into the basement of the police service. So, it’s not something that can simply just be removed. What leads to that is water intrusion,” he told the board. Other immediate needs include replacing a fuel tank, HVAC upgrades, parking lot security improvements, expanding the sally port for police transport vehicles, improving emergency alert system, electrical upgrades for an emergency generator. “They put no money away for repairing the building on the belief they were going to get a $120 million police station,” exclaimed Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley. The must-do repair list follow’s Bradley’s veto last year of the board’s bid to build a new police headquarters. “They think we’re the bank of Sarnia. And there’s been a 44 per cent increase in the last four years in the police budget. Forty-four per cent. They’ve also drained our reserves that are there for the rainy days. We don’t have the money there right now. We will have to find a way to deal with this. It is a labour, occupational health issue. That part I get. But it’s really sad how they’ve approached this,” he said. Bradley says the next city council will be tasked with dealing with the $3.5 million dollar repair bill. Senior governments will also be approached for funding.
