By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

After two decades of operating out of a patchwork of construction trailers tacked on to the highway garage, the Cicero Police Department finally has a home of its own.

Last week, the CPD officially moved into its new building at 6200 Route 31, which was previously occupied by the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers, Local Union No. 195.

“It’s the Taj Mahal from where we were,” Chief Joe Snell said.

The new building measures 6,200 square feet, more than double the previous facility’s roughly 3,000 square feet. Among the highlights are a secure booking area, a handicapped-accessible ramp, cold storage and a juvenile interview room.

The facility also has ample training and meeting space, so the police department can host its Citizens Police Academy and officer training on-site.

“We won’t have to beg and borrow from other locations,” Snell said. “It really has widened what we can do and not have to worry about where we’re going to be.”

The conference and training rooms are equipped with audiovisual equipment, featuring screens that can be connected via USB or Bluetooth. Snell said the space will also be available for use by local organizations.

Snell said the new building addresses many safety concerns. Officers must enter a PIN code to enter or exit the booking area or interview rooms.

“There’s really no way back into the administrative section if someone tries to escape,” Snell said.

The new building has a dedicated room for juvenile interviews, which must be inspected and approved by family court judges. The room also can be used as a booking area for arrestees with mobility issues, as it is easily accessible via a ramp at the front of the office.

The town of Cicero announced in October 2017 that the new police department would be located on Route 31 instead of the former South Bay Fire Department building on Cicero Center Road, which the town purchased in 2015.

“The South Bay Fire Department building did not work out for us, and the next day we found out this building was available,” Snell said.

The town purchased the Route 31 building for $475,000 and was able to put its $500,000 Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) grant toward the purchase.