Lawrence City Commission to consider spending another $378K on police headquarters

City leaders will soon decide whether they will spend more money to furnish three additional areas of the new police headquarters building.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider spending an extra $378,377 to add furniture and equipment to the areas for police investigations, administration and the crime lab. City staff is recommending the commission reallocate $372,000 of unused funds from the police department’s budget to pay for the expense.

The unspent money is from the purchase of new police radios — which had $1.35 million allocated in 2018, 2019 and 2020 — that cost less than expected, according to a city staff memo to the commission. The memo states that staff sought out savings opportunities when purchasing the radios without knowledge of the implications on the police headquarters project, but that the savings provide the opportunity to fund the furniture without affecting other city projects.

The city staff recommendation states that furnishing the spaces so they can be occupied will benefit the department.

“The Department has opportunities for efficiencies in operation, collaboration and education of a young staff when housed in a single location,” the memo states. “The ability to purchase the remaining furniture and equipment fulfills the intent of the City Commission when the decision to complete the shelled spaces was made.”

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