At 8 a.m. on a recent day, Roccy Risbara and I arrived at the Scarborough Public Safety building for a Public Safety Building Committee meeting.

We were buzzed through the lobby door and into the corridor that runs the length of the police section of the building. We were immediately in the presence of seven or eight police officers who were briefing each other on a police matter. As a former chief of police, I knew what they were talking about.

Passing beyond the officers, Roccy and I looked at each other and shook our heads. We did so in recognition that the building is too cramped to allow officers to hold their conversations in a private space, away from the public. Firefighters, EMTs and communications officers work in deficient and outdated circumstances as well.

The Public Safety Building Committee has been working for most of the past year to identify the many problems of the current building and to propose a needed and functional replacement. In a recent letter urging support for the new building posted on the Risbara Bros. Construction website, Roccy said, “If you have doubts about the need, please call one of the Chiefs, and go take a tour of the current facility.”

For a wealth of information about this important public safety issue, please visit scarboroughmaine.org/psb.

A unanimous Town Council vote has placed on the Nov. 7 ballot a question to provide funding for the new building. Please vote “yes” on local Question 1 and help the public safety professionals who help you.

Greg Hanscom

member, Scarborough Public Safety Building Committee

Scarborough


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