Police Building Should Be At Municipal Complex

To the editor:
On March 12, the Herald published a letter by a writer stating her opinion on the “debate” regarding building a new police building at the airport or at the municipal complex. I wasn’t aware there was a debate on the location. A 2005 facilities study ordered by the township concluded the police department should be brought back to the municipal complex and to purchase the Manzoni property adjoining township property for expansion. Additionally, in 2012 a special committee was formed by council to address this specific question regarding moving the police/court back to town hall or keeping it at the airport. This committee was comprised of Mayor Michael Beck, former Deputy Mayor Lare, Councilman Simonsen and four Lower Township residents. After intense investigation, they concluded through a unanimous vote to bring the public safety building back to the municipal complex.
I am hopeful the writer is correct in her optimism regarding economic development at the county airport. Nonetheless, I feel the taxpayers of Lower Township have contributed enough through property tax abatement. If a further inducement of security is a good idea, perhaps the county sheriff or DRBA police could provide this service for their property.
As far as safety for our children going to the recreation center or the Douglass Memorial school, you only have to remember the Sandy Hook school massacre to realize nothing could provide more safety and security for our precious children than to have the police department located in the same area.
The convenience of public access is very important. Buses do not go past the airport. This significantly impacts people who don’t drive or are handicapped and need to get to the police department or court. The overwhelming majority of towns place their police and court where the people live, not miles away. In Lower Township 55 percent of the entire population lives in the towns along or near Bayshore Road.
Lower Township has already taken the first two steps to move public safety/court back by buying the Manzoni property and moving planning/construction out of their former police building. Now all that remains is to pass the bond ordinance to start construction. Pass the bond now, for the people and to stop jeopardizing our officers health from the leaky roof and mold.