A steady stream of visitors saw the new building during an open house Saturday.
By: Cynthia Williamson
LAMBERTVILLE An open house to show off Lambertville’s new police facility drew a steady stream of visitors Saturday, including Hunterdon County Prosecutor Steve Rubin and county Chief of Detectives Nicholas Susalis.
"We had a tremendous response from both inside and outside the Lambertville community," Lambertville Police Director Bruce Cocuzza remarked. "I received nothing but favorable comments."
Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio and City Council members John McManus, Cindy Ege, Marie Warford and Steve Stegman kicked off the festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Former Councilman Steve Frankel, who resigned in August because he was moving from the area, also made a special visit to Lambertville for the occasion.
A beaming Mrs. Warford said she’d been waiting "nine years to see this."
The three-term city councilwoman said moving police into a new facility was part of her platform when she first ran for office in 1992.
"It isn’t spacious, but it’s everything I feel police need to do their job well," she said. "It brings a good feeling amongst the fellows."
Robert Reed of Lambertville attended the open house with three generations of Reeds, including his grown son and a gaggle of grandchildren.
"They did a beautiful job and I wish them a lot of luck," the elder Mr. Reed said. "It’s much, much better than the old place and they have more room to work."
When asked for an opinion from his granddaughter, Ashley Reed of Point Pleasant said, "It looks neat." It was unclear whether the 4-year-old was commenting on the new facility or the cache of cookies and other goodies she had loaded onto her plate.
The city had been under pressure by the state Department of Labor for years to either increase headroom at the old headquarters in the basement of City Hall at 18 York St. or relocate police to a new facility.
The city researched more than a half dozen sites over the years before making a decision to purchase the former Chuck’s Collision Service on Route 29 at the north edge of town.
In May, the city approved a $156,900 construction bid from Procomm Systems Inc. of Hope, N.J., to renovate the 2,100-square-foot single-story metal and cinder block structure into a police station.
"I love it!" said Police Officer Shawn Mount. "It’s nice. I can’t say enough about it."
Officer Mount, who led the department in drunken driving arrests last year, said moving into the new place has motivated him to do even a better job.
"We were a professional department to begin with but this just heightens it," he said. "Even the prisoners know we mean business."
Lifelong city resident Richard Fleming Sr. agreed.
"I think the police will put on a more professional atmosphere," he said.
He said the architect on the project, Michael Burns of Lambertville, did an "exceptional job" on the floor plan.
A former part-time meter officer, Mr. Fleming said he was there for a tour of the new facility because "I knew how bad the old place was to work in."
"They’ve done a tremendous job," he said. "They’ve got a good building for what it cost."
Visiting the facility for the first time, resident Carrie Teel Schenck said, "I think this is wonderful."
Mrs. Schenck and other senior citizens have been volunteering their clerical services at the Police Department and at City Hall about once a month for the past four years.
"I think this is great," said Mrs. Schenck, who recently moved to Solebury Township but had resided in Lambertville for 35 years. "I think they deserve it."
William J. Brown III of Lambertville said he came to check out the new facility and "lend support" to police officers.
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a number of years ago, he is mostly confined to a wheelchair. He expressed frustration at the limited access he has to some of the public places in town, such as the old police facility.
On Saturday, Mr. Brown gave the new headquarters the thumbs up, saying it was a "little tight to get around some areas" but overall, it met his handicapped-access needs.
"I’m real impressed," he said. "They did a real impressive job with the building."
Marie Nanni, the wife of former Lambertville Mayor Anthony Nanni who died in November at age 82, made a tour of the facility with her daughter.
"I think he probably would have liked it," said Mrs. Nanni, her eyes scanning the new patrol room. "I think he would have said, ‘It’s about time.’"