‘We are crawling over each other’: Sarnia police up PR effort in quest to build new HQ

Heated debate follows the campaign to fund a new Sarnia Police station costing up to $100 million. CTV London’s Sean Irvine reports.

Sarnia police have launched a campaign to gain support for constructing a new police station, believing it is a critical need.

The force has created a dedicated webpage to outline its reasons for spending upwards of $100 million on the project.

Although the current facility has yet to reach its 40th birthday, the force and its police services board argue the headquarters on Christina Street has passed its prime.

Sarnia Police Service Deputy Chief Michael Van Sickle put it bluntly.

“We are crawling over each other in there,” he said.

Among a long list of deficiencies cited are an improper firing range and forensic lab, hard-to-monitor jail cells, and poor building accessibility.

The force said the situation is past the point of renovation or expansion. It wants a new headquarters.

“We can continue to sink money into this facility, but at some point, I think we have to do the thing that is the most efficient and effective and is best for the taxpayer as well,” said Paul Wiersma, who chairs the Sarnia Police Services Board.

The price tag is expected to exceed $90 million. Wiersma acknowledges that the number could climb once the station is fully outfitted.

To date, only the potential site of a new station has been approved by Sarnia City Council, south of London Road.

There are plenty of roadblocks before any shovels hit the ground.

While a pair of Sarnia city councillors sit on the police services board, opposition is substantial.

Mayor Mike Bradley, a former board chair, told CTV News Tuesday Sarnia taxpayers “cannot afford it.”

Bradley claims a hefty immediate tax increase, followed by an annual 10 per cent tax increase for several years, would be needed. The mayor said he intends to reveal more later this month.

Some members of the public have raised eyebrows, especially after an initial report suggested the current station could be upgraded with a $4 million investment.

But Van Sickle maintains the report looked only at the building structure, and not the operational needs of the force in an era of rising gun crime and community outreach.

“We have outgrown this. So, the opportunity to build a building with 30 years of forward-looking is a great opportunity for us,” he said.

“I would rather not have to spend $91 million on a police facility,” conceded Wiersma.

“I wish we could spend it in other areas, but the reality is that we are going to have to do it. And if we don’t do it today, we’re just kicking the can down the road, and it’s going to be more expensive.”