As winter approaches, some Belleville police officers and administrative staff will have to bundle up at their workspaces.

The police service recently made a request to council for insulated siding to be installed on the north side of its new Sidney Street headquarters.

Last winter some staff working in that part of the building were forced to wear winter boots and clothing in order to keep warm. However, police Chief Mike Callaghan says the same request had been made before the new facility was retrofitted.

“The decision had been made not to put the Kingspan insulation on the exterior existing walls to keep the original façade of the building, as well as keeping costs down,” Callaghan said.

Belleville Coun. Kelly McCaw was serving at the time the decision was made. McCaw, who is now on the police services board, says she only recently found out the siding was never installed.

“This is something that the past council that I was on did not know,” McCaw told Global News.

“It was never brought to council. There was never a discussion regarding any cutbacks for the station.

“We had approved that budget at $25 million with the understanding that everything would have been done as it should have been done.”

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