Police want to build new $25M police station for rural Hamilton

A new police station to serve rural areas of the city is one of several projected expenditures Hamilton police is proposing in its 2017-to-2026 capital budget plan.

The new Division 4 station, which would cost $25 million, is needed because of "current and projected rural population growth" in areas like Binbrook, Ancaster, Dundas and Waterdown, according to a new report to be discussed at Thursday's police board meeting.

"The dramatic increase in calls for service combined with immense geographic area of coverage makes it a tremendous challenge to meet acceptable response time," the report reads. The proposal is for a new building in 2025.

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Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who chairs the police board, says the service has seen the need for another police station for years now.

"There's more population and so more officers required," Ferguson said but he added that finding the money for the project could be a challenge.

"That's always an issue, because they need more staff too."

There are no firm plans in place for the project, Ferguson said, but this proposal stands as an indication to city council that this is something that police are looking at down the road.

The project is one of several submitted to the city for consideration as part of the annual capital budget process. Each year, the city requests police identify capital projects for the next decade.

Though the new station is the priciest of them, it's also the farthest off.

There are no new projects proposed for next year, but in 2018, police are looking for $750,000 for a new command van, $80,000 for ice rescue equipment and $500,000 for a marine vessel replacement.

There is also a proposal for a $4 million marine facility replacement and expansion in 2019 and a $500,000 communications centre expansion for 2020.