The Laurel Police Department held the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for its new facility in the Paul Laurence Dunbar Public Safety Building, former the PL Dunbar Elementary School, last Saturday in Laurel.
“This project stands as one of the most significant accomplishments for our town,” said Laurel Town Manager Jamie Smith.
The ribbon cutting for the new police station in the former Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, now the Paul Laurence Dunbar Safety Building, took place last Saturday in Laurel. Photo by Mike McClure
Smith said the idea of moving the police station to the former school came from former Laurel Police Chief Dan Wright. Smith thanked general contractor Randy Raddish for his leadership and Laurel Captain Tyler Bryan for working with her on the project’s renovations and construction. The project cost just under $2.3 million and no town funds were used. It took the town six years to raise funds through the round bill and grants.
“This is a new era for us and a new era in policing,” said Laurel Police Chief Rob Kracyla, who became the chief last June.
Chief Kracyla. “It’s all about the community here.”
Kracyla said the goal is for the police department to be a community friendly organization. He added that he was in the process of hiring a community service officer.
Kracyla was joined at the ceremony by two of his mentors, Wright and Sen. Dave Lawson, a former police officer.
“This is a huge accomplishment. We worked diligently in bad times and good times but things are going to change,” Wright said “There’s a God above and her’s going to come down on Laurel.”
“This building has withstood the winds of change, withstood the winds of segregation, withstood the winds of integration, and possible demolition,” Councilwoman Robin Fisher said of the building, which is almost 100 years old.
It is named after Paul Laurence Dunbar, a novelist and poet who lived from June 27, 1872 to Feb. 9, 1906. She read his poem “We Wear the Mask” during her speech.
Rep. Tim Dukes said he had lunch with Wright 10 years ago, during which Wright shared his vision for the P.L. Dunbar building. The building was gifted to the town by the state in 2018 with the provision that it keep its name. Then came the process of fundraising, but the building could not be built with the money raised due to inflation.
“We knew that we had to think outside the box to make this building what we wanted on a shoestring budget,” said Dukes.
Dukes asked his brother, Rusty, who to get as a contractor and the answer was Raddish.
“Your thumbprint is on Dunbar for many years,” Dukes told Raddish and Wright.
As for the idea of community policing, Dukes said, “It’s not just to penalize people, it’s to walk with people living life. The best days of Laurel are still ahead of us.”
‘I believe our town staff led by Town Manager Jamie Smith, town engineers, and contractors have done a wonderful job renovating this structure,” said Laurel Mayor John Shwed, who read the Dunbar poem “Dreams’ to the crowd.
Shwed thanked former Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, former governor John Carney, Sen. Bryant Richardson, and Rep. Tim Dukes and also said that Sussex County was supportive of the project and the police department.
“I wish you a long and vibrant future serving the people of our community operating out of your new police station. Continue to build the trust between the department and the people,” Shwed told the police chief and his officers.
