Take a tour of the new 20,000 sq. ft. detachment office
LITTLE CURRENT – The multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art Little Current office of the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) began operations this week from its new home in the Hayward Street subdivision.
The detachment office has three entrances, two of which are for police only. The civilian entrance is located off Boosneck Road. The administrative office is light-filled and welcoming, undoubtedly designed to help alleviate any fears when coming to the imposing station. Several chairs are positioned in the waiting room—a far cry from the hardly standing room only front office at the Little Current site. the Those coming into the detachment office will have a panoramic view encompassing everything from the front desk to the administrative machine of the busy office. A door blocks the entrance from the inner workings of the office, except for those invited in for interviews or for other police business.
There are two interview rooms in the detachment. One for victims and those giving statements features comfortable chairs and another, which was not available for viewing, for the accused. The latter of these interview rooms is also wired for video and audio.
Down the hallway that leads from the interview room past the administrative office are separate offices for the community services officer, staff sergeant (who led The Expositor on a tour last week) and the detachment commander.
As the Espanola and Manitoulin detachments are now combined into one, the newly created detachment requires an inspector-ranked detachment commander, in this case Inspector Megan Moriarty.
There is also a well-lit and spacious community meeting and briefing room with chairs and tables set out in a horseshoe shape with a large television. Staff Sergeant Helena Wall explained that this room can be used for meetings with Island politicians and for debriefing following major incidents.
The approximately 20,000-square foot office contains a fitness room, lunch room,Crown offices, a victims’ services office, use-of-force storage room, men’s and women’s washrooms, including showers, and lockers room for officers.
The Hayward Street side of the building features four large garage doors. The bay to the far left is where the prisoner transport van will enter. The new detachment office includes five cells, one for young offenders and four for adult offenders. (The Expositor was not able to tour the cells—gone are the days of [now retired] Constable Al Boyd ‘locking Kindergartners up,’ to their great delight.)
The remaining three bays are for cruiser maintenance and offer an alternative entrance to the officers’ equipment storage area. A small courtyard to the north of the building, accessed from the equipment storage room, gives officers an outdoor break area.
The nearby constables’ work station is filled with desks and chairs. Two large flat screen TVs will constantly give detachment updates. A one-way glass window to the next room allows sergeants to keep a watchful eye over their constables.
Staff Sergeant Wall said the officers and staff of the Little Current office are incredibly excited about the move. The building was a hive of activity last week as crews put the finishing touches on the historic office, which is now in operation. Move-in day was scheduled for Tuesday, August 18.
