To the editor:

We all are aware of the dire need for new facilities for the Lawrence Police Department. With my experience of long-range planning for a wide range of facilities, one of the most important things I’ve learned is the relevance for looking far enough into the future.

It is so easy to get caught up in obvious short-term needs. The police are scattered in six different facilities; communications are awful; response times are hard to cope with; storage space is inadequate; personal facilities are lacking; there is an inordinate amount of inter-facility travel; parking is a nightmare. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have brand new, modern, technically up-to-date facilities that would meet all these needs? Of course, but how far into the future do we need to plan for?

When I came to Lawrence in 1973, the population was 45,000. Today, the population is about 100,000. Despite three depressions in this period the average annual growth has been just about 2 percent compounded and we can all see the continuing building that is going on. So a good planning base for projecting Lawrence’s growth would be: 100,000 in 2015, 110,000 by 2020, 120,000 by 2030, 130,000 by 2040 and 140,000 by 2050.

This would allow for both short-and long-range planning. Growth could be faster, slower or just meet these projections. Police needs will probably grow in proportion, initially all in one location, possibly with a satellite precinct in the future. It is up to the City Commission and the residents of Lawrence to get things moving for the benefit of all.