12/28/2015

MEDFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT: State report finds maintenance, sanitary violations - Gate House

By Alex Ruppenthal
aruppenthal@wickedlocal.com

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May 06. 2014 2:06PM

MEDFORDPOLICEDEPARTMENT:Statereportfindsmaintenance,sanitary
violations
The Massachusetts Department of Health cited 23 maintenance and sanitary violations during a September 2012
inspection of Medfords police station, only some of which have been corrected.
Environmental Health Inspector Marian Robertson inspected the station Sept. 6, 2012, and reported violations
including dirty toilet fixtures and sinks in four detainee cells, a leaking toilet and broken lock and light fixtures in other
cells, plumbing not maintained in three cells, blankets that werent fire retardant and no written evacuation plan for
employees or detainees.
Robertson wrote in a report to Medford Police Chief Leo A. Sacco Jr. that the chief was to submit a plan of correction
for the violations within 21 days. But Sacco said he did not bother to send one because he knew the department would
not receive the money to correct all the violations through repairs.
"I said, Just condemn us. Shut us down," Sacco said. "They dont, so we continue."
The state Department of Health cited 23
The report was included in a feasibility study conducted for the city by its architectural consultant, Donham & maintenance and sanitary violations
during a September 2012 inspection of
Sweeney, which was released in January 2013.
The Medford City Council requested a copy of the study and received one two weeks ago, but it did not contain six Medfords police station. Wicked Local
appendices at the end of the study containing thousands of pages of notes on a documentation of existing conditions, FilePhoto
regulatory review, site options and other topics.
The same version was made available to the public in the City Clerks office.
City Councilor Michael Marks requested a copy of the appendices during the councils April 29 meeting. The council was to receive the full version of the
feasibility study at its meeting this Tuesday.
The Transcript received a complete copy of the study Monday from the mayors office.
In the study, Donham & Sweeney recommends the buildings basement be abandoned in any plan to rebuild the station, as the basement has flooded
frequently. The department currently uses the basement to house a gym, storage and a janitors closet.
"We kind of hold our breath every time we hear a forecast of heavy rains because the water just seeps in," Sacco said.
The firm recommended the city rebuild the station rather than attempt to make repairs, estimating a price tag of $32 million based on construction costs
projected for February 2014.
The DPHs September 2012 inspection, conducted as part of the states Bureau of Environmental Healths Community Sanitation Program, also cited a handful
of conditions in detainee cells that pose potential suicide hazards, including toilet fixtures not equipped with anti-suicide skirts and an unprotected light
fixture.
Sacco said the department has removed some of the hazards and made repairs to account for a portion of the violations, including fixing light fixtures and
plumbing. But the citys budget included only $26,000 for building repairs at the station this year.
The 2013 budget included the same amount, and in 2012, the department received $25,000 for repairs.
"Theyre telling us that were deficient," Sacco said. "My bigger concern is if something were to happen to somebody in our cells, its a big-time liability."
Sacco said the department typically uses six of its 14 detainee cells because many of them are unsanitary and have plumbing issues.
"You could end up with a full house some nights and we are forced to use ones that we wouldnt normally use," he said.
Sacco said the department has asked for more money for building repairs in recent budgets. But he also said he doesnt want the city to spend significant
dollars on repairs if that means a delay in the funding of a new police station, which Medford Mayor Michael J. McGlynn said he wants to pursue in five to
seven years once the city pays off some of its current bonds for other infrastructure projects.
"Id rather see money set aside each year for the new police station and have something ready at that five-year mark," Sacco said. "Have a location picked out,
have a design done and once you approve that design dont cut back."

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