Halifax Regional Police consulting about replacing headquarters, other buildings

Halifax RegionalPolice is looking for a consultant to assesscurrent police facilities and recommend replacements.

Halifax now has a police headquarters on Gottingen Street and a patrol support centre in Dartmouth. Police officials want to know if just one new building should be built or if there could be a number of facilities in different locations.

The Gottingenheadquartersopened in 1974. The building is cramped and out of date, police superintendent Sean Auld says.

"There's a real need for us to better care and process our prisoners, to better process and examine our evidence and better serve the public,"said Auld, who'sinchargeof the facility project.

Changes years away

It could be a year before the results from this new study will made public. Construction of a new facility, even if it isapproved by both the police commission and regional council, could be up to six years away.

"This is just one of a number of studies that will have to be taken," Auld said.

"It's going to be a significant amount of taxpayer money, so we want to make sure we spend it in the best way possible."