Council Bluffs Police Chief Tim Carmody reports eleven community members from across Council Bluffs are coming together to study the facility needs of the Council Bluffs Police Department, and to assist technical consultants in preparing an analysis that will help the city determine the best possible option for an adequate home for the police department.

The study group members come from all walks of life and reside or work in areas that cover all sectors of the community. They will meet several times over the next three months to tour the current police station, tour modern law enforcement centers, scout potential locations throughout the community, and forward their recommendations to the city officials. Meetings began this week at the Council Bluffs Public Library.

The meetings are open to the general public to observe, but space is limited. The city recently retained Hoefer Wysocki Architects of Leawood, Kan. to perform the formal technical analysis to determine appropriate space and functional needs for the police department, as well as conduct a site location analysis with the assistance from a local engineering firm, JEO Consulting Group. The all-volunteer community study group will work closely with the technical project team to inform the technical analysis efforts and also to gain any information they require to provide non-binding recommendations to the city.

The study group will have a neutral facilitator to assist their research and with forming their recommendations to the city. An extensive public information effort will be centered on the study group’s work, culminating in an open house public meeting in mid-February to gain public comment on the group’s recommendations before those recommendations are provided to the city.

Additional information will be available at the study group’s kick off meeting and throughout the analysis process.