Gilroy
– Crowds packed the Saturday open house of Gilroy’s new police
department, dressed in police blue, the khaki of Sheriff’s
deputies, and the green of the Irish. The standing-room-only event
brought community members together to marvel over the sizable,
state-of-the-art building, and to honor those
who built it – and for whom it was built.
Gilroy – Crowds packed the Saturday open house of Gilroy’s new police department, dressed in police blue, the khaki of Sheriff’s deputies, and the green of the Irish. The standing-room-only event brought community members together to marvel over the sizable, state-of-the-art building, and to honor those who built it – and for whom it was built.
“I know there are those who say that government does not work quickly, but this is proof that it’s not true,” joked Chief Gregg Giusiana, who described the 12-year process from the building’s concept to completion. Construction setbacks have delayed the project, now due to open in May.
Bagpipes and the strains of the Star-Spangled Banner, sung by Community Service Officer Aaron Avila, preceded a cornerstone ceremony conducted by the Grand Lodge of Masons, and remarks by city leaders about the long-awaited building. Among the hundreds in attendance were councilmen, firefighters, former mayors and Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr.
“Yes, this did not come without controversy,” said Mayor Al Pinheiro. “There were many opinions about how, when and where this should be built. And yes, there are those that are not happy with the great wall that we see, including myself.”
Pinheiro urged attendees to see the building’s “inner beauty”: the professional service of the Gilroy police, and the long-term savings of a building expected to last 50 years, possibly more.
“Starts getting prettier, doesn’t it?” he said.
Echoing Pinheiro’s remarks, City Administrator Jay Baksa said, “The building is made of concrete, glass, steel, especially steel, but the heart of this building is its people.”
One of those people is C.J. Laizure, Gilroy’s first police chief, for whom the building is named. Sgt. John Sheedy cited Laizure’s extensive accomplishments as chief, which include starting its cadet program, writing the department manual, standardizing uniforms and badges, obtaining the Gilroy police radio frequency and supporting agency reimbursement for officer training.
“Sure is nice sitting there and hearing nice things said about you,” said Laizure, following Sheedy’s remarks. The building’s size continues to inspire good-natured ribbing. Looking at the walls of the immense new building, he joked, “We can always say, ‘Welcome to Fort Laizure.'”
After the ceremony, former school trustee Bill Patterson added, “From the size of that building, you’d think they were expecting a major crime wave … But police buildings aren’t supposed to be pretty. I sure don’t want to be headed there.”
