jazzyken
06-01-2006, 03:31 PM
NEWARK BREAKS GROUND FOR TWO NEW POLICE PRECINCTS
With police recruits and community residents in attendance, Mayor Sharpe James and city dignitaries broke ground yesterday for the city’s first new police precincts in 80 years.
James, Police Director Anthony F. Ambrose III and Chief of Police Irving F. Bradley Jr. broke ground for the first of 11 new facilities, at 247-261 16th Avenue. A second is being built simultaneously at 471 Irvington Avenue. These are the first in a series of similar precinct buildings to be built throughout the city. The structures will be constructed mostly of brick and glass, and will be two stories high.
These police precincts will be fully functional with around-the-clock operations, as the present precincts do, and offer the same caliber of services.
“The most important thing a city can do is bring a police precinct to a neighborhood,” James said. “This is the first two of 11, which will deal with lawless elements, and those who do not value life. Our renaissance is not about bricks and mortar, but flesh and blood, preserving the safety of those who live and work in our city.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the 16th Avenue site, and was intended to be symbolic for that site as well as the Irvington Avenue site. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, planned for May 2006, will be held at 471 Irvington Avenue.
Despite gray skies and fog, a crowd of neighborhood residents joined with police command staff and city and county dignitaries for the ceremony. Among those in attendance were Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, Sheriff Armando Fontoura, and council members Charles Bell, Mamie Bridgeforth, and Hector Corchado.
The precincts are being constructed by Niram Construction, Inc. of Boonton, are designed by Hillier Architecture of Newark and are due to be completed by the summer of 2006.
“The fine men and women of this Department deserve the best tools to work with. These precincts are part of the ‘tools’ in our ‘shed’ of tools needed to protect our community,” Ambrose said. “We are continuing to keep Newark’s Police Department at the cutting edge in protecting and serving our residents.”
“Fifty years ago there were eight precincts throughout the City before they were eventually reduced to four. With the continued economic growth and development in the City today’s residents certainly deserve the best possible access to police services throughout the neighborhoods just like the residents of 50 years ago,” said Ambrose.
The new buildings have a construction cost of $6 million, which is being paid through the city’s capital construction budget. The city is starting this project in the West and Central Wards, responding to citizens’ concerns.
The first floor of the precincts will be wheelchair-accessible and feature a city services office, a fully furnished sitting area, a roll-call room which could be used to hold community meetings, administrative offices in the rear, and a detectives’ bureau replete with video and audio equipment for taped statements.
The second floor will host a small lunch area with a gym next to it, both male and female locker rooms fully equipped with showers and a room equipped with computer drops to allow for connectivity. The facility will be supported by a small parking lot able to hold 35 cars.
“We have reduced crime in Newark by more than 60 percent in the last seven years,” James said. “We promised to take on criminals and create a safer Newark. These new precincts will help us do so. Promises made are promises kept.”
With police recruits and community residents in attendance, Mayor Sharpe James and city dignitaries broke ground yesterday for the city’s first new police precincts in 80 years.
James, Police Director Anthony F. Ambrose III and Chief of Police Irving F. Bradley Jr. broke ground for the first of 11 new facilities, at 247-261 16th Avenue. A second is being built simultaneously at 471 Irvington Avenue. These are the first in a series of similar precinct buildings to be built throughout the city. The structures will be constructed mostly of brick and glass, and will be two stories high.
These police precincts will be fully functional with around-the-clock operations, as the present precincts do, and offer the same caliber of services.
“The most important thing a city can do is bring a police precinct to a neighborhood,” James said. “This is the first two of 11, which will deal with lawless elements, and those who do not value life. Our renaissance is not about bricks and mortar, but flesh and blood, preserving the safety of those who live and work in our city.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the 16th Avenue site, and was intended to be symbolic for that site as well as the Irvington Avenue site. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, planned for May 2006, will be held at 471 Irvington Avenue.
Despite gray skies and fog, a crowd of neighborhood residents joined with police command staff and city and county dignitaries for the ceremony. Among those in attendance were Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, Sheriff Armando Fontoura, and council members Charles Bell, Mamie Bridgeforth, and Hector Corchado.
The precincts are being constructed by Niram Construction, Inc. of Boonton, are designed by Hillier Architecture of Newark and are due to be completed by the summer of 2006.
“The fine men and women of this Department deserve the best tools to work with. These precincts are part of the ‘tools’ in our ‘shed’ of tools needed to protect our community,” Ambrose said. “We are continuing to keep Newark’s Police Department at the cutting edge in protecting and serving our residents.”
“Fifty years ago there were eight precincts throughout the City before they were eventually reduced to four. With the continued economic growth and development in the City today’s residents certainly deserve the best possible access to police services throughout the neighborhoods just like the residents of 50 years ago,” said Ambrose.
The new buildings have a construction cost of $6 million, which is being paid through the city’s capital construction budget. The city is starting this project in the West and Central Wards, responding to citizens’ concerns.
The first floor of the precincts will be wheelchair-accessible and feature a city services office, a fully furnished sitting area, a roll-call room which could be used to hold community meetings, administrative offices in the rear, and a detectives’ bureau replete with video and audio equipment for taped statements.
The second floor will host a small lunch area with a gym next to it, both male and female locker rooms fully equipped with showers and a room equipped with computer drops to allow for connectivity. The facility will be supported by a small parking lot able to hold 35 cars.
“We have reduced crime in Newark by more than 60 percent in the last seven years,” James said. “We promised to take on criminals and create a safer Newark. These new precincts will help us do so. Promises made are promises kept.”