BRISTOL, Conn. (WTNH) — The Bristol Police Department has been through a lot over the last year and stood proudly next to city hall, but it is on its last leg. This prompted Mayor Jeff Caggiano to consider a new public safety complex.

It’s akin to owning an aging car – when is it more sensible to invest in repairs, and when is it time for a replacement? The current police department, a structure dating back to the late ’70s, is approaching its 50th year, and officials argue that it requires a significant overhaul. The question arises: apply a temporary fix or embark on constructing a new facility?

“One thing we do know is that the building is not really sustainable if we pour a bunch of money into that and we start parking electric cars above people and have these problems, it just doesn’t fit,” said Caggiano.

The existing police building, constructed in the ’70s and renovated in the ’90s, is bursting at the seams with 140 officers and struggles with limited space for storing and processing vehicles for evidence. Despite various challenges, including a recent shooting incident in the lobby where bulletproof glass proved effective, concerns about its long-term viability persist.

“The police complex as it stands right now is underneath the roof of a parking garage; it is failing,” said Caggiano. “It’s a 50-year-old building, so we do know that we are going to move our police complex.”

The structure, heating, and air-conditioning systems are all in need of replacement, with emerging concerns about concrete deterioration and water damage. While not yet critical, these issues demand attention.

“So we’ve already solicited work by consultants and architects; we’ve had 2 engineers look at it and an architect,” Ray Rogozinski, Director of Bristol Public Works.

As plans for a new police department unfold, the pivotal question remains – where to build it?

Caggiano is contemplating whether to demolish the existing structure and rebuild in the same location, relocating the police temporarily, or to seek an entirely new spot.

“Knock that building down and build it in the same place, and move the police somewhere temporarily, which we did for City Hall, or do we find a new spot for them,” said Caggiano.

In the early stages of planning and budgeting, Bristol anticipates growth in revenue and the grand list over the next year as the downtown area expands.

“And it’s very exciting what’s happening in Bristol, or N. Main St. It’s becoming our new main street, and then literally 63 years since we started the downtown revitalization, where we took down her main street, we are finally seeing some progress,” Caggiano.

The police acknowledge that the structure, designed in the late ’70s, reflects an era with different security risks. Bristol anticipates progress as discussions on the future of its police facilities gain momentum.