Independence police chief critical of current facility after failed vote
Voters approved $55 million for roads, bridges, and sidewalks. They rejected millions of dollars for other projects, including a new police headquarters.
Police Chief Adam Dustman told FOX4 he's disappointed Tuesday night's vote failed, saying he's asking more from his police officers every single day. The department's current headquarters is just east of Independence Square, known as the Central Police Building.
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'But yet we're placing them in a work environment that is, on the best of circumstances less than desirable and on the worst of circumstances is down right unacceptable and atrocious,' he said Wednesday afternoon.
Chief Dustman says it's his job to try to change the conditions that his officers work in. Before the vote, he showed residents the conditions of the Central Police Building. There's sewage from the pipes there, along with water damage in the main men's locker room.
Tuesday's public safety bond failed by 10% because elections for bonds need to pass with 4/7ths of voters, or just more than 57%. 53% of the residents said no, and 47% of them said yes.
'While it is a risk from the recruitment side, I'm much more concerned about the today, which is the staff that we have here, the incredible men and women that are dedicated, and go out and do their job, and they're going to continue to do their jobs regardless of any sort of vote or you know, lack thereof,' he said.
Chief Dustman added that he's concerned that other Jackson County, Mo. police departments will have better facilities than his with Tuesday's public safety bond failing.
'And you come here and you see the water infiltration and the health and safety issues that are here, there's a toll there and risk for sure,' he said.
Two hours before Chief Dustman spoke, FOX4 talked to City Manager Zach Walker.
'I would say more disappointed,' Walker said when asked if he was surprised that the G.O. Bond for the new police facility failed.
Even though that happened, some Independence Police Department workers will be moving to the city's Utilities Center at 291 Highway and 23rd Street. The new justice center or police department headquarters was supposed to go there, too.
'What we're not able to move, what we don't have space allocated for is the patrol units,' Walker said.
'So, people come in, go to their locker room, get dressed, go out on patrol, the firing range, and then the special operations unit, like the SWAT Team, the K9 Unit, things like that.'
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After question 1 failed, FOX4 asked how the city will ask the voters for a new justice center in the future.
'Yes, I do think we will be back. That need is not going away,' Walker said, talking about a new police building.
'We've outgrown the facility that we're in, and we're spread out over several different properties that, like I mentioned before, created a lot of operating inefficiencies.'
The third G.O. bond question Tuesday asked voters to consider $12 million in bonds to upgrade the existing Independence Athletic Complex and improve historic buildings, including the Bingham-Waggoner Estate.
That failed with 55.42% of the vote due to that 57% threshold mentioned above.
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