Temporary cells sought for BPS station
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/07/2020 (2092 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After it lost the ability to hold people at Brandon Correctional Centre, the City of Brandon is looking to build a temporary cell block at police headquarters.
In a tender posted to the city’s website, a contractor is being sought to complete a structure with six seven-foot by seven-foot holding cells that will be used for 18 months while plans are drawn up and construction is carried out on a permanent set of holding cells.
This temporary cell block needs to be completed within two months or 60 days of the project being awarded to a contractor. The tender was posted on July 21 and expires on July 30 at 5 p.m.
According to the project specifications, the temporary structure will be a new or retrofitted trailer a minimum of 16 feet by 50 feet installed at least three feet away from the south side of Brandon Police Service headquarters.
That would place the temporary structure close to the intersection of McTavish Avenue and 10th Street near Superstore.
See ‘Change’ — Page A2
Change due to agreement with province ending
Each cell will have a bench/bed combo, a sink/toilet combo, a floor drain, a camera and tamper-proof light fixtures and grills for heating and cooling. While building codes must be followed as per the tender document, the temporary structure will not require fire-rated doors or fire separations because “the cell block will be continually monitored.”
To save money, the city is trying to purchase used cell doors, tamper-proof lighting and sink/toilet combination units from other detention facilities.
The tender documents state that construction must not interfere with police activities. Manitoba Hydro will have to relocate its gas meter for the property as part of the project.
In early April, the Sun reported that the BPS was having to house inmates at their own facility after the province suspended its direct lockup agreement with police agencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The change was made permanent on June 10 by Justice Minister Cliff Cullen, who pledged to allocate resources to upgrade police facilities to handle inmates. Additionally, $20,000 was allocated to hire a consultant who will help the BPS transition to the new system.
The move, Cullen said, would bring Manitoba in line with other provinces whose police handle inmate lockup directly before a suspect makes a court appearance.
As a result of the move, the BPS had to redirect 16 personnel to watch over inmates.
“Capacity is certainly an issue,” Brandon Police Service Chief Wayne Balcaen said in June. “I do not believe our service is designed for the long term, so we are going to have to look at areas to increase capacity as we move forward.”
» cslark@brandonsun.com, with files from Drew May
» Twitter: @ColinSlark