Independence Police offer tours of headquarters ahead of bond vote
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - When the Independence Police Headquarters was built in the 1970s, the department employed around 100 people. Now, over 300 work for IPD, and the department says it’s outgrown the space Chief Adam Dustman says has become riddled with issues.
Those issues are part of why IPD is asking Independence residents to approve a $197 million GO Bond in April.
“We are a 365-day, 24-hour operation. People traverse every area of this building; all day every day and it’s just showing signs of wear,” said Dustman. “You have pipes that are bursting, sewage lines that are failing, you see evidence of water infiltration. We have personnel that are officed in what were originally designed as janitorial closets.”
$130 million of the GO Bond would go toward purchasing a new animal shelter and creating a new Justice Center, where IPD would consolidate operations, and the municipal court would move to as well. The Justice Center would be placed at the current Independence Utility Center at 17221 E. 23rd Street. Dustman says it’s at the geographical center of the city.
“Our Emergency Communications Center is already located on the site,” said Dustman. “Separate from the GO Bond, we have identified tax funds separate from the general funds of the city, to renovate the upper two floors of the current utility center for police operations. We are hoping that will begin by this summer. The rest of it will progress from there out to all 14 acres of the entire campus site which will include multiple different standalone buildings.”
Dustman says the Justice Center would have a shooting range, vehicle processing and storage, the department’s K-9 facility and more.
“If the bond es, this will allow us to be the next generation of IPD,” said Dustman. “This will be something that we will be proud of. That the community will be proud of. If it does not , we will have to back to the drawing board because as you can see, we cannot continue to operate effectively in this facility as it stands today.”
Ahead of the vote, IPD has been offering residents tours of its headquarters. Dustman says dozens have been able to go through the building so far.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity for the people of Independence to see the real condition of this building and to ask themselves if this is something they would want to work in every day,” said 3rd District Councilmember Heather Wiley. “It’ll give the voters of Independence a chance to make some really thoughtful decisions on April 8.”
Wiley has toured the building and encourages other residents to do the same.
“I’ve had a lot of residents who just didn’t know how bad it was take the tour and then were surprised and shocked at the conditions,” said Wiley. “It was time to get them out of this building and get them in a safe, secure, and sanitary building.”
Two more public tours are scheduled for this week: Wednesday, March 26, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday, March 29, from 12 p.m.- 3 p.m.
Independence residents can call the police department for more information, as well as visit the City of Independence’s website, which breaks down the GO Bond.
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