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The 45th Precinct’s Barkley Avenue station house is going to be ushered into the 21st Century.

The command at 2877 Barkley Avenue was spruced up several years ago, but now a new open-ended grant of $250,000 in capital money will be used to make enhancements to the building, with the NYPD determining the exact scope of the work.

Councilman Jimmy Vacca, who stopped by the 45th Precinct Community Council meeting on Thursday, September 8 to make an announcement, secured the grant.

“No one works harder to keep our streets safe and livable than the men and women of the 45th Precinct, and they deserve to have a home base that is equipped with modern technology, modern conveniences and a modern design,” Vacca said.

Vacca said he is eager to see work begin in the near future, and pledged that his office would work with 45th Precinct Capt. Russell Green and headquarters at 1 Police Plaza to determine exactly what repairs would be undertaken.

Priorities include structural repairs and an updated computer system for the station house, a statement from Vacca said.

“When Capt. Green approached me and asked if I could set aside funds for modernization, I immediately went to work securing the funding,” Vacca stated.

Now that he has been told that the precinct’s station house will be receiving a grant, the next step is to figure out how it can best be used to fight crime, Capt. Green said.

“Jimmy told me he had secured a grant for our precinct,” Green said. “He said he had given a similar grant to the 49th Precinct a few years ago and they used it for infrastructure updates, new computers, and new electrical outlets for the computers.”

Green said that he would have to work with headquarters to plan on how to use the grant.

Many aspects of the precinct’s physical plant could use updating, including the phone system, said 45th Precinct Community Council president Robert Bieder.

“The precinct could always use good equipment, and the right kind of updated tools for the job,” Bieder said. “Hopefully they are going to use the money in a way that enhances services.”

The dramatic reduction in crime that the city has experienced for the past 17 years was due in great part to increased use of crime fighting technology, and this could be a good place to use this money, Vacca stated.

“One of the reasons for the reduction in crime has been improvement in the technology, and the bottom line is that this technology makes you and I safer,” Vacca said. “The captain needs to access the needs of the precinct and the kinds of technology employed so that we can see the same kind of steady reduction in crime we have experienced since 1994.”

©2011 Community Newspaper Group