Deskripsyon
Yesterday on Seeclickfix radio Paul Bass pointed out that the police substations look more like fortresses than something inviting. Have there been thoughts about making the substation more inviting similar to the rose center?
This seems more in line with today's policing efforts. Maybe more glass?
22 Komentos
George Dickell (Panauhin)
Thomas Burwell (Rehistradong User)
neighbor (Panauhin)
Robert Roscow, AIA (Rehistradong User)
Robert F. Roscow, AIA
Thomas Burwell (Rehistradong User)
BenHV (Rehistradong User)
Hi Robert,
That is the front if you are walking West on Edgewood. In no way did I mean to offend your talents.
There are different definitions of success and different ways of achieving success. I'd be curious what you were optimizing for with the design. What were the goals at the time? Do you feel that if it was designed today there might be different goals?
Thanks for engaging.
BB
BenHV (Rehistradong User)
I totally understand the sentiment of building military like outposts insulated by community activities in the early 90's on Kensington Street. I just wonder as I walk the neighborhood everyday if that structure is still relevant beyond the rein of the Latin Kings.
neighbor (Panauhin)
The term 'outpost' does have a more military defense connotation than 'community substation'. There are more than one in New Haven,, so the Latin Kings was not the priority in mind, but was one consideration. The one on the corner of Blatchley and Grand use to have a large empty space around it,, and a community garden, and community activities.. Farnam Neighborhood House used that space and well as Centro San Jose. Later that space was used to rebuild the school that is at the other end of the block. I'm afraid your history is a bit backwards in thinking that New Haven is more friendly and social now than then.. no.. the opposite is true. New Haven has been pretty neglected as a community and the streets look terrible, the type people that we see at the Green has changed, from white collar business to dirty collar loiterer.
Also, in the 90's the Latin Kings were our worst fear,, but today it is terrorism,, and one of the major targets for terrorists are the police.... so we have more need to protect our cops than before.. as long as they are not our oppressors themselves.
I'm looking at the photo again,, and.. I think planting some nice warm looking plants would help. It looks like the photo was taken in winter.. no leaves on the trees, and no plants. It's spring now.. how about some greenery. and, yes, this is the back.. the front should have a door and a car there and a driveway.
Our police force, in general, needs to be more "New Urbanization", the police themselves need to look less like hostile occupiers and more like positive community members. That's a political thing , led by the Union head.. Cavalieri.. they hated community policing and have defended abuses.. The starion reflects current City attitudes.. and that I can appreciate as a good point in this message.
Hill Resident (Rehistradong User)
neighbor (Panauhin)
Hill Resident, I have been inside one of those substations many times. There was a call box outside that first rang to inside and then rolled over to headquarters if no one was inside. I agree with most of the uses that you list, except the 'anonymity' part.. It's actually easier to explain why the cops knocked at your door than to explain why you went there.
As far as who staffs them.. the District Manage was the main staffer, along with a civilian and a couple of onduty officers . Now they usually find a spot behind somewhere to sit in their patrol cars idly,, so I disagree that they are more productive reading a newspaper in back of some location where they are more difficult to locate by citizenry than at the substation. The word 'substation' means a full station in a secondary location. You don't spend that much money on a place for cops to pee.
I am a beliver in 'community policing' and am sorry that has gone by the wayside in favor of actually more tendency to widen the gap between the community and the combat boot wearing shielded military man. It's also better psychologically for the police to feel part of the community than to feel like the Rambo that is called in to jump on the bad guy, bouncer type cop.
I totally disagree that 'friendlier' invites 'vandalism of the worst kind'. Actually, the opposite is true. When the neighborhood feels like this is part of their community, and there to help them, there is less chance of vandalism than when they feel like it's an invasion and occupation by a hostiel force.
Howestreet (Panauhin)
neighbor (Panauhin)
razzie (Rehistradong User)
Resident (Panauhin)
razzie, they were used for some meetings. Have you ever been inside? Granted that they are not like a Taft Hotel meeting room. I said that there is no more community policing.. they got rid of Pastore and have another chief now, and another mayor who are into more brutal type of policing.
I think the bottom line here is that this mayor and this police chief are just not going to bother to renovate them and that is that,, so, although your aesthetic point may be correct, it is a moot aesthetic point and you are wasting your time thinking they are going to beautify them any more than plant some flowers. Look at our City's main attraction.. the Green.. have you seen it lately? That needs beautifying too,, look at the front of City Hall.. decrepit and sorely in need of beautification.. if they don't care about that then they are not going to beautify a substation in a backwoods neighborhood that no tourist is going to see and no Yalie is going to trod upon.
Like,, get real. Yes, the substations need beautifying, but so does this whole City that looks more and more like an abandoned mill town all the time.
Dwightstreeter (Rehistradong User)
I think it would add to the decor.
neighbor (Panauhin)
wondering aloud (Panauhin)
of the new urbanism of 40 to 50 years ago? You remember the geniuses that came up with the East Rock Middle School, The New Haven Colusium, the now Knights of Columbus Museum and the "brilliant" Yale School of Archictecture. Designs so brilliant that millions where spent to corrrect over the past 15 years.
Officer David hartman (Panauhin)
anonymous (Panauhin)
Officer Hartman, my father wrote up his reports in the patrol car, no need for an office or substation just to write up reports. No, they were to be community policing substations. The District manager used it for his base in the community. Some of the uses were similar to the community fire station.. if you need help quickly, it should be there..
You are right about the 'grey glow' , fluorescent lights, and the type windows that only let in distorted light that isn't helpful for knowing what is going on outside. Part of that was for safety, and part was for confidentiality. The basic design of the interiors is good, but it could be done in nicer colors , lighting.. the atmosphere affects you guys too. It doesn't have to look like a CSI interrogation room.
I and my group used the Blatchley Ave one when the surrounding area was a community garden, so it was a community thing. We knew the district manage, who used it as his base, and it helped him to have a good rapport with the community. We could talk to him about what was happening in the community, and it didn't look like it was only a bunker then. They were more pleasant places to gather and work,, until they were abandoned for all uses except pit stops.
I don't think this is a project to involve high school kids in,, haha,, but maybe college.
The money was well spent at the time. We had community policing and this put centers in neighborhoods for that. I doubt if you feel that you are 'one' with the community from your office at Union St. , or thst we know who you are and feel that we have a friend in you. Today is different, with community policing gone and no desire to be other than a military presence.
Of course, Officer Hartman,, you are the public relations person in the department, and we , at least I, understand your perspective. It would be good to get those officers who are hiding in patrol cars in the back of empty parking lots, and vacant properties back into the substations.
anonymous (Panauhin)
I just noticed this on another post:
Kimberly Square Cleanup
Wed., April 20th from 11 am-2 pm
We will start at the Substation (410 Howard)
Dept. of Public Works, LCI and Economic Development to assist
Community Service hours will be recorded for students
contact/RSVP: ceyzaguirre@newhavenct.gov
There ya go.
Officer David Hatrtman (Panauhin)
Anonymous, I'm not writing as the department's PIO. I'm writing as an officer who used sub-stations for years and I applaud your fathers use of a squad car to write reports. In this case, I'm talking about the beat officers. They don't have a car to write in. Our reports are no longer allowed to be hand written or traditionally typed. They must be entered into a computer. Those exist in a cruiser's front seat or a sub-station so there's no choice, I'm afraid, unless we start issuing each officer tablets.
My suggestion to include HS students was for the aesthetic design phase and to engage the community. Perhaps we could open it up to others. I at least suggest the people living around the buildings should have some say as to how they look (And they don't need to all look the same). Add a community garden as you'd mentioned. Anything to make them more inviting.
Isinara Manager of Operations, Process Improvement - Transportation, Traffic, & Parking (Beripikadong Opisiyal)