BOCA RATON, Fla. — Boca Raton's new police chief says building a new headquarters is his top priority — and he wants to put the question back to voters.
Chief Jarad Phelps, who has been on the job for a few weeks, said told WPTV Boca Raton reporter Victor Jorges that he is focused on moving the project forward after voters earlier this year rejected a ballot measure to fund a new facility.
WATCH BELOW: Boca's new police chief makes new headquarters top priority
"Right now my No. 1 priority is the police station. The conversations we've been having about a new police station, and getting it to voters on whether or not they want to bond to fund that," Phelps said.
The issue is expected to return to voters at the next municipal election. The city has presented two options for a potential new headquarters.
One option is a 16-acre campus at Spanish River, featuring a main building and a downtown substation. The second option would keep the facility downtown in a 6-story building. City staff says the downtown plan could cost about 10% more due to vertical construction.
Phelps described the current building's condition as alarming, warning it could put evidence at risk.
"This is a deteriorating building. It's almost 40 years old. I'm not going to point fingers in the past; I'm trying to move forward, but the condition of this building is lacking in a lot of different areas. You get a rainstorm, the roof leaks consistently," Phelps said.
Phelps also said the city's police department is "spread out" throughout the city, and a new headquarters could centralize the team.
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