HAVANA, Fla. (WCTV) – Dozens of community leaders and neighbors came to celebrate the grand opening of Havana’s new public safety complex Saturday morning.
“It is a much better environment for the community to come into,” Havana Police Chief Kenneth Lewis said. “If you’ve ever seen our old lobby or our old department, this was so much needed.”
The chief said this project was several years in the making, trying to secure enough money to start building. “It’s a glorious day for the community. It’s a glorious day for my officers and my dispatchers,” Lewis said.
He pointed out that the new safety complex was a true team effort, with many staff members laying sod, building a privacy fence, and installing the data network.
“We couldn’t afford to outsource,” Lewis said. “We were able to get a lot of donors to help us with materials – with the sod itself – and we put in the physical work, from the mayor all the way down to some of our part-time people.”
In addition to the ribbon-cutting, the Havana Volunteer Fire Department formerly dedicated their building to Don C. Vickers. Chief Don Harrison said he gets emotional thinking about the work Vickers did for Havana.
“It just means a lot because serving for Don for so many years and knowing that he really cared about this community,” Harrison said. “It’s just not a name on a sign thrown on a building just for the sake of doing it. He really did care for this community.”
After the ceremony, the community was invited for lunch and a tour of the new facility.
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