Portion of roof collapses at Rotterdam police station

PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Mason

Gallons of rainwater cascaded through the Rotterdam Police Department after a massive hole broke through the station’s aging roof this morning.

The water had collected on top of the station during a heavy downpour and left one of the roof drains clogged. Eventually, the weight of the water collapsed a section of the roof, leaving areas on three floors inundated.

“We had a considerable amount of water leak into the building,” Lt. Michael Brown said.

Brown said the water broke through ceiling tiles on all three floors, damaging areas inside the courtroom and booking room. Some of the department’s computer equipment, including the device officers use to digitally fingerprint suspects, was soaked by the leak.

Brown said department personnel were able to continue operations there despite the mess created by the leak. Power was shut down to the courtroom and justice clerks were sent home for the day, town officials said. There were no court cases scheduled Friday.

Town officials recently unanimously approved a $35,900 study to design a new public safety facility. Town Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the collapse highlights the pressing need for the town to replace the aging station, which housed the Jefferson School decades ago.

“The town has known for many years the police department has been inadequate to serve the public safety needs of Rotterdam,” he said. “We’re at a point where the community has grown, we need a new police department that addresses today’s technology and the burgeoning court needs.