Proposed Falmouth Police Station
Frequently Asked Questions
The Police Station Advisory Committee is responsible for recommending an architect and site, facilitating resident input, and providing ongoing oversight for the design and construction of the new police station contingent on funding approvals.
What are FAQs?
Answer: FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions. Some questions listed are a compilation of many similar questions and others are specific questions, long with the appropriate response. FAQs are periodically submitted, reviewed, and responses posted on the Falmouth Police Department website.
Why do we need a new police station?
Answer: The current Police Station, located at 750 Main Street, was last renovated in 1984. It is undersized for the current Police Department staff and operational needs. The facility has also been deemed inadequate to meet the recommendations and requirements identified in the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing Report issued in 2015. The current station is in poor condition. The building has experienced multiple points of water infiltration, and its electrical wiring has exceeded its useful service life, creating ongoing reliability and safety concerns. See Existing Police Station Evaluation 04-12-2024.
Where is the new location for the proposed police station?
Answer: After an extended site location search that reviewed 576 Town owned properties (including School Administration site and the Morse Pond School site) and several non-Town owned properties, the PSAC selected 100 Brick Kiln Road as the site of the new Police Station which was subsequently approved by the Select Board. This site was previously developed and will have multiple Town uses including the Great Pond Wastewater Treatment project’s lift station and piping, and the potential for future sports fields. As the selected location for the new station is on town-owned land, there is no land acquisition cost.
What is the size of the current police station and the proposed police station?
Answer: The existing Police Station is approximately 22,888 GSF. The proposed police station is 48,244 GSF consisting of the main building at 42,744 GSF and an outbuilding of 4,500 GSF. A portion of the main building will be dedicated to a Training Room, which will also be designed to serve as the Town’s primary Emergency Operations Center (EOC), taking advantage of the building’s enhanced resiliency. In addition to housing the Police Department, the main building will also accommodate the Town’s Communications Center.
Why is the proposed police station so much larger than the existing?
Answer: The design of the proposed building has been developed through a detailed review of the space needs of the Police Department. The project team went room by room and evaluated the needs based on current staffing level and potential future staffing levels. The initial result of this space needs study resulted in a conceptual level design with a Main Building of 58,300 gross square feet (GSF) and an Outbuilding of 3,600 GSF. The initial result was deemed too large and expensive by Town staff. The Design Team and FPD subsequently reduced the Main Building size by 25% to 43,744 and increased the Outbuilding (less expensive per square foot) to 4,500.
How many Police Department staff are in the existing Police Station during the day?
Answer: At present staffing levels, there are typically 20-30 individuals working within the building during traditional business hours. At shift change, and during major events (e.g. July 4th, Falmouth Road Race, other unplanned major incidents), the number of personnel in the building can swell to 40 or more. These numbers do not include members of public conducting business or individuals detained by the Police Department.
A staffing study was performed internally by the Police Department to forecast staffing needs to FY 29 and to 50 years. How can the added staff count from this report be confirmed?
Answer: The PSAC is planning to engage a third-party consultant to perform an independent staffing study.
Will solar panels be included at the new police station?
Answer: The building is designed to be solar ready. This means the infrastructure will be in place to install rooftop solar and battery backup systems. The Town has engaged a solar consultant to pursue installing solar arrays on the roof, to construct a solar canopy in the parking lot, and to install a battery backup system on a concrete pad that will be constructed as part of the facility construction project. The goal is to have a qualified, specialized solar contractor install the rooftop and ground mount solar with no cost to the Town. Town staff plan to pursue a grant for the battery storage system to minimize or eliminate Town expenditures.
Can residents tour the current Police Station?
Answer: Yes. The Open House originally scheduled for Saturday August 22, 2026 has been rescheduled, due to inclement weather, to Saturday October 17, 2026. The PSAC will have an information booth set up in the rear parking lot.
Does the project include a firing range?
Answer: The current design only includes the concrete slab/foundation and underground utility conduits for the future installation of a modular indoor firing range.
Is the building designed to be all electric?
Answer: Yes. The new building will be all electric, except for the emergency power generator which will be fueled by diesel. The Town is in contact with the Cape Light Compact to review all potential energy incentives and is applying for the Path 1, Tier 1 program.
What will happen to the existing Police Station?
Answer: The Town is in the process of hiring a design consultant to conduct a master planning process to evaluate future uses of the entire 13.3-acre parcel that includes the existing Police Station/Emergency Communications, Senior Center, Gus Canty Recreation Center and the Marks Building/Human Services Offices. This planning process will include extensive community input.
Do you have a question about the proposed police station?
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