City officials got back on message Thursday night, telling a crowd of about 20 people how cramped and outdated facilities spread all over town are hurting the efficiency of the Lawrence Police Department.

“A centralized, modern facility is really what we need,” Police Chief Tarik Khatib told the crowd that gathered at the police department’s Investigations and Training Center for a Thursday evening forum hosted by the city.

Based on the questions they asked, the crowd seemed largely supportive of the proposed $28 million project, although some members expressed discontentment that the project is coming after other multimillion dollar projects such as a new library and recreation center.

“I think it should have been our top priority,” Carladyne Conyers said of the police facility. “When it comes to the safety of our community, we need to provide them the best that we can.”

Voters will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to consider a 0.2 percent sales tax that will fund the new headquarters, which will include space for officers, detectives, administration, training facilities, evidence storage and other functions. City commissioners have proposed building the facility on a $2.25 million piece of property near the Kansas Turnpike interchange on McDonald Drive.

Here’s a look at several items that came up for discussion at Thursday’s forum:

• One member of the crowd told Khatib she thought the proposed location of the facility was on the edge of town and not conveniently located for police business. Khatib said he understand the proposed location — which is across the street from the Hallmark Cards production plant — is not centrally located from a north-south standpoint. But he said it is centrally located from an east-west standpoint, has easy access to Interstate 70, is close to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, and is equidistant from the city’s two high schools.

“We feel like it is the best of what we had to choose from,” Khatib said.

• Khatib also was asked if it would be less convenient for police officers to attend to court business at the proposed location. The proposed location is farther from both Douglas County District Court and Municipal Court than the current Judicial and Law Enforcement Center that houses the patrol division of the department. Khatib said the proposed location probably will be less convenient for court-related issues.

“But I think we are at the point of deciding which disadvantage we want to deal with,” Khatib said. “I think getting the force back together in one location is going to lead to better efficiency and more ability to interact and solve crimes.”

• Khatib explained that a firing range that is proposed for the new facility will be a major enhancement in the training program for the department. He said the county has placed restrictions on the current outdoor range that is owned by the local Fraternal Order of Police. Those restrictions include limitations on using the facility at night. Khatib said a majority of police shooting incidents occur in the dark, so it is important for officers to be able to train in those conditions.

• An underground parking garage that is proposed for the facility also is important, Khatib told the crowd. He stressed that the garage won’t be for the personal vehicles of police department employees, but rather will be to securely store patrol vehicles and other pieces of police equipment. He said an average police car costs about $50,000 when you include the equipment inside the car. Plus, he said, the garage will be a time-saver in some situations.

“When officers have to scrape the ice and snow off their patrol vehicles, you’re paying them to do that,” he told the crowd.

• Khatib said he’s convinced it would not be feasible to rehabilitate the existing Investigations and Training Center at Bob Billings and Wakarusa Drive. About half of that city-owned building is unrenovated space left over from when the facility was a private office and laboratory building. But Khatib said in order to house the patrol division — which currently is located in downtown — the building would need significant work. In addition, Khatib said, the site doesn’t have enough space to deal with the parking needs of the department.

• Khatib said he does expect to need more police officers and employees in the near future, in addition to the new facility. He said he would like to add about five officers a year for the next five years or more.

“But you are not going to get the full efficiency from an officer if you don’t fix the facility needs first,” Khatib said.

Thursday’s forum was the first of several on the police headquarters topic. The Friends of the Lawrence Police, an advocacy group for the sales tax campaign, will host a forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Lawrence Arts Center. The Voter Education Coalition will host a forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Lawrence Public Library. The city will host another forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Investigations and Training Center at Bob Billings and Wakarusa Drive.