Video - Mold problem causing police headache

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Mold causing police department headache

KSWO - Lawton,OK*

Oct 24, 2007

http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7261402

Altus_The Altus Police Department is fed up. Police and staff say

they still have mold growing in their station and they're

suffering. It's a problem they've been dealing with for almost four

years and employees are suffering from above average allergies and

frequent colds.

This year's heavy rains have made the problem worse and they hit the

nearly 100 year old building hard. Water came through the leaky

roof and now mold is growing under the carpets and in the ceiling.

Police want the city to make it go away.

A committee has been formed to look into city facilities with health

related issues exacerbated by mold conditions. But, Altus Police

Chief Mike says it's too little, too late. It's even

leaked in through their evidence room ceiling - causing all kinds of

damage. But, it's the damage you can't see that the APD is

complaining about most.

" If you don't feel healthy in the building, if you interview

everybody in this building, you'd find a strong majority would

say, `Yeah, I don't feel good, I wish I could work in another

building,' " says . He says the mold is making his team

sick and it's been going on so long that he decided to have the

building tested himself.

" I hired a company to come in and do a survey, " he says. " And quite

frankly city hall is very upset with me that I took it upon myself,

but I'm thinking of the health of the people who work here. " The

report showed three kinds of mold present - and all three can cause

severe allergic reactions. The city tried to help clean up the

problem by removing all the carpet and installing tile. But,

says it's a waste of time.

" They're taking up the floor, you know, they're going to spend three

thousand dollars on the floor. But we're talking about three

hundred thousand dollar problem. Three thousand's not going to fix

it, " he says. says the only solution is to move into a

new building.

" I've been with the city 37 years and I've seen them build community

centers, warehouses, gymnasiums, airport hangers. You know, I don't

think they put enough focus on the public safety, " he says.

City Manager Nettles says Altus just can't afford

it. " We're not at a point quite yet where we're ready to make that

commitment. I don't think it's too far down the road, but we can't

do it right now, " he says. says the city is wasting its

money on these " bandage " repairs, but doesn't know what else to do

but move out of the old building.

There's an open meeting on the topic scheduled for Monday, October

29th, 5pm at the Police Department.