They talk of "reinvesting" in the community. Sure would have been nice if they had reinvested in one of the old school buildings they already own and aren't using any more for this purpose. Come to think of it, maybe DPS should follow in other district's footsteps and use an old school building for their entire office and admin headquarters. That would eliminate the rent they pay at the Fisher....or yeah, and I bet Cooley HS would look good as a district admin campus, too.


January 21. 2011 1:00AM
DPS unveils $5.6M police center

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

Detroit — A $5.6 million police command center that provides 24-hour monitoring at Detroit Public School facilities is about safety and reinvesting in the community, public officials said Thursday at a ceremonial opening.

Surrounded by law enforcement officers from across the region, district officials unveiled the new headquarters for the DPS police department, a 23,000-square-foot facility on the city's north end that will be the base for security operations for the district, which serves 74,000 students and about 5,500 teachers.


Built in six months, the facility near Interstate 75 and Clay Avenue is part of a $41.7 million district-wide security initiative to improve safety. Officials hope it will anchor redevelopment in the area, where abandoned homes and businesses line nearby streets.

The station has a command post where staffers will monitor campuses 24-hours-a-day using live-feed surveillance from digital cameras and alarms on school grounds. Inside the command room, eight 52-inch LCD screens monitor scores of hallways, parking lots and rooms in multiple buildings across the district.

Officials said 80 of the district's 144 buildings were online, with the others being monitored at the old DPS police station on Woodward.

In the next three weeks, all 144 buildings will be online at the new center and under surveillance, DPS police Chief Ron Grimes said.

The security system will allow officers to respond quicker in crisis situations, Grimes said.

Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb said the project is part of the district's $500.5 million capital improvement program approved by voters in 2009.

"This is much more about public safety. This is about redevelopment and reinvesting in a community," Bobb said. "This is about … ensuring school settings are safe and secure to learn in."

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade attended the event, saying the new building and its amenities are an example of all that is right in Detroit. They also send a message, she said.

"Anyone who dares steal from our children's school will have a heavy price to pay," McQuade said.

The new facility includes five holding cells for juveniles, three K-9 kennels, a 70-seat officer roll-call room and four interview rooms.

jchambers@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110121/...#ixzz1BhAfi11j