GilfordGrok

My question: what did you use for call volume percent rate increase (e.g., 3%, 5%) used to determine how big the station should be?  How fast is the call volume expected to increase?  Why is this so important?  Because the answer should be driving all of the other factors that would end up with “how big?”

While I am not involved in law enforcement or construction, I would have to believe that from projected future call volumes one could derive estimated manpower needs into the future (i.e., aren’t there  standard values of the number of calls an officer should be able to handle in a year?). 

I would also think there are values of how many square feet / officer or supervisory staff require.  This would help drive overall space requirements for areas such as locker rooms, armory, offices, communications areas, vehicle parking, and sally ports, and other items over the life of the building. 

Again, based on projected call volume, one would think that there should be statistics showing the average number of arrests based on those calls and plus rates of increase of “stops” and walk-in traffic.  Those should be able to drive an average amount of evidence per arrest, length of time to store that evidence, etc., thus determining the size of areas for evidence, prisoner / cell space, interview rooms, and the like.

I am fairly sure that there are other areas that could be factored in, and educated estimates added as “fudge factors”.  Combined with generally available economic growth statistics (increased population should drive calls too), one should be able to at least derive a square footage number that could be reasonably defended (knowing from the get-go that this IS an exercise in predicting an unknowable future). 

Overall, wouldn’t this process be better in getting to a “educated estimate” sizing for the new facility rather than plucking a number out of thin air or an “I don’t know”?

Building a simplistic mathematical model shouldn't be all that difficult - just a lot of time in obtaining and setting up the data. 

In fact, I had finally offered to do just such to Captain Keenan who had buttonholed me after the after the meeting when the last project was announced and the Budget Committee voted to support it.  I even took him up on the tour that he offered, so TMEW and I did just that - it was quite obvious that additional room was needed.  Warm words were exchanged, and he promised to get me the data that I would need.

Well, to be frank, I gave up.  When it became obvious that he and his staff were kinda struggling with the idea, I changed my mind and personally offered to do the model if he would research and get the data needed - and he agreed to do so.

However, after about three phone calls (talking with him once, voice mails on the other), two face to face visits, and several unanswered emails, I have received nothing for data.  And I really don't want to go through the process of sending in an official request for that data.....

To be sure, I only ever attended that one meeting and never took part in any of the previous planning meetings or goings-on.  However, I'm not sure that  "forthcoming" is a word that I would use in getting data in order to assist in his effort in getting the new digs set up.

I hope this changes for the new committee.