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Erie council hears police facility expansion plan as chief warns response times have lengthened
Summary
Police Chief Lee Mathis told the council calls for service and crime have risen faster than population growth and that priority‑1 average response time rose from 1 minute in 2022 to 3 minutes in 2023–24. Architects presented a downsized 50,000‑square‑foot plan and staff outlined budget, schedule and funding options including COPs, a public safety tax or a ballot measure.
Erie — Police Chief Lee Mathis told the Town Council that the town’s calls for service are rising faster than population and that the police department needs both more officers and more space to keep response times low.
Mathis said the department’s calls for service rose about 20% while Erie’s population increased about 8% and reported crimes rose roughly 18%. “In 2022, we had a one‑minute response time to priority‑1 calls,” he said. “It increased to three minutes in 2023 and continues to be three minutes in 2024.” (Chief Lee Mathis)
The council heard a presentation from DTC Architects and construction manager partners laying out a two‑phase renovation and addition. The RFP called for renovating about 18,000 square feet and adding roughly 32,000 square feet; designers said they have condensed and…
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