Keystone
The canton of Bern can build a new police center in Niederwangen for 343 million francs. On Wednesday, the Maggior Consiglio accepted the loan with 113 votes in favor and 9 against.
Behind the proposal were SP, FDP, Mitte, EVP, the almost closed SVP and the majority of the Greens. The few votes against came from the ranks of the UDC and the GLP, as the vote balance shows. Furthermore, 16 members of the Grand Council of the GLP, the Greens and the EDU abstained from voting.
The cost increase that had arisen in the course of project planning caused discomfort here and there. In 2018, the Confederation had forecast total costs of CHF 270 million. Reason for the increased loan were, among other things, the additional areas for the increase of the police force requested by the Great Council.
According to their spokeswoman Marianne Schild, the liberal Greens had an “uneasy feeling” because the construction and transport directorate hadn’t had a lucky hand with other major projects. In addition, the price for the new police center is very high, especially since it also does not provide a solution for the future training of police officers.
A general contractor is contracted to build the police center. Several speakers have warned that this model requires strict cost control. The client must constantly control costs throughout the planning and implementation phase of the project.
“Modern and functional”
For a large majority in the Council, the need for action was undisputed. Location concentration makes sense. The planned center is “modern and practical, if not very cheap,” said Stefan Berger on behalf of the SP/Juso faction.
The new police center in Bern will bring together the entire cantonal command infrastructure under one roof. There will also be detention and interrogation rooms, training rooms and sports and catering rooms.
Around 1,400 people will work in Niederwangen (municipality of Köniz). Construction is expected to begin next year and the building is expected to open in 2028.
Today the cantonal police are spread over 18 locations in the Bern area. According to the cantonal government, this makes cooperation and management of modern police units increasingly difficult. In spring 2017, the Grand Council decided to focus on nine locations, including a new building in Niederwangen.
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