Twin Cities Police Ready For Opening Day

There's a rumor at Redwood High School that the new Twin Cities Police headquarters was designed so police could look out the windows and see what the students are up to.

That's not true, but it's an interesting thought, joked Chief of Police Todd Cusimano. A labor of love over the past five years, the new state of the art facility on Doherty Drive in Larkspur is set to officially open Saturday, Jan. 21, with an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony. All Twin Cities residents should be receiving invitations in the mail.

The day will include an open house for residents to explore the new facility and meet local officers. Both Larkspur and Corte Madera will offer information booths including disaster preparedness.

"This is an opportunity to do a couple of things. We really want people to sign up for the "Notify Me" (e-mail alert service on the City of Larkspur website)," Cusimano said. "That will really help us moving forward to get information out to our citizens. We also want to use this as an opportunity to bring the Twin Cities together."

The project will be finished six months ahead of schedule and $2 million under budget, according to Cusimano, who addressed the Larkspur City Council on Jan. 4.

The Twin Cities Police will move out of their rented space at the office park on Paradise Drive in Corte Madera. The TCPD might even have a moving sale if they have any equipment they won't need anymore.

The new building will give the TCPD a facility to rival any Hollywood police drama. Larkspur 5-0? CSI: Corte Madera?

The Twin Cities Police will be able to lock up a suspect's car, search it for signs of blood, drugs, or other evidence, then collect and process the forensic findings.

Cusimano is quite proud of the telecommunications system that will allow patrol cars to act as Internet hotspots. The new building is built to be practically self-sustaining in the event of a disaster, with backup power supplies and a phone and Internet system that can take advantage of a fiberoptic system.

"It's very fulfilling for me to say we did our job and we did it well. We managed the budget and we did it like it was our money," Cusimano said, adding that the timing of the construction allowed the Kitchell Developers team to take advantage of low prices on construction material for an even greater savings.

The architect and developers used that money to make the building as environmentally friendly as possible. Lights turn on and off automatically when a person enters or exits the offices. The building makes use of natural light, which has an added bonus for Cusimano. His second-floor corner office has a commanding view, made even more spectacular as the sun disappears behind the mountain tops.

The San Anselmo Police Department will also use the facility as a dispatch center, while Cusimano is working on ways to make local law enforcement more efficient — on the streets and financially. The San Anselmo Police and California Highway Patrol aided the TCPD in the recent Greenbrae shooting at Jay Leone's home.

"There will be a big savings and it will enhance service to the local communities," Cusimano said of the cooperative agreement.

One extra benefit of the new facility? The barbecue on the patio that was donated to the project.