Borough hall may undergo renovations

STANHOPE - The borough municipal building will be undergoing some major changes in the near future. During a recent borough council meeting, Mayor Diana Kuncken, said the redesign of the police department and court area are need in order to be in concurrence with new regulations handed down by the State of New Jersey. One of the primary concerns is to create space for a new machine to test drivers’ level of alcohol and the installation of electronic equipment to record interrogations. According to Chief Steve Pittigher, the space used currently for interview of suspects is too small. In October, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that police departments must videotape police interrogations regarding with homicides investigations. Starting in 2007, that requirement extends to cover investigations of burglary, sex offenses, arson and drug or weapons charges in which the accused faces more than five years in jail. “We have a lot more equipment and a lot more regulations,” he said. The new rules call for the interviews to be in a location that allows for privacy and freedom from distractions. In Stanhope, Pittigher said, interviews are conducted in the same room where other officers are working. The Breathalyzer, which for decades has been used to determine alcoholic levels in suspects charged with driving while intoxicated, is being phased out and will be replaced with the Alcotest. Pittigher said that the $12,000 equipment is about the size of a personal computer and must be installed in a protected area. The council received a presentation by Ken Fox of Fox Architectural, which offered several plans. The recommended layout would require the building an entry foyer to make room for a processing area. This space is especially needed to provide privacy and protect victims of domestic abuse. According to Pittigher, when couples involved in domestic altercations are brought into the department, the victim and the accusers are interviewed or processed in the same room. “There are a lot of requirements we will need to address, but we are moving forward,” said the chief, acknowledging that these are the first steps in updating the police department space. In addition to expanding the area for the police department, the new project will also tackle accommodations for court personnel. The architect proposed that the tax collector area and building department be relocated either to a trailer or off-site, to allow for more room for court administrators. To comply with state regulations, the renovations will include upgrades to make the area more handicap accessible. The estimated cost for the recommended upgrade is $200,000. The estimate does not include “soft” expenses, such as engineering, architectural, and legal. The municipality is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks.