Attleboro seeks gambling grant for new dispatch center – The Sun Chronicle

ATTLEBORO - The city has applied for $400,000 in gambling mitigation money from the state to help design a $2.3 million public safety dispatch center in the South Attleboro fire station.

The application to the state Gaming Commission states the center would be used jointly for fire, police and ambulance services.

Gambling mitigation money is being requested because a recent study found traffic and crime incidents have increased in the area since the June 2015 opening of Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville.

Casinos in Massachusetts pay into the mitigation fund, so neighboring communities can apply for financial aid to offset any negative consequences from the casinos.

Mayor Kevin Dumas said the idea of the joint dispatch center is a new one, and specific plans have not yet been developed.

"This is in the absolute incipient stage, as there has been no detailed information provided. A consultant was contacted for a broad idea of cost without analyzing a possible location, details of staffing and capital costs," he said.

A capital improvement plan will be written later, Dumas said.

The city's application is based on the notion that police and fire calls have increased in recent years.

It states it is "plausible" that the increase in Attleboro is due in part to the casino.

One example it cites is the case of two North Attleboro and Plainville residents arrested in Attleboro for shoplifting.

One of the suspects told police she paid for a brand new car with winnings from Plainridge.

"One might infer from this story that they may impart a sense of risk-taking that lowers individual inhibitions to committing certain crimes," the application states.

The application notes that traffic accidents, especially along Route 1, which leads to the casino, were up significantly.

Traffic stops by police went from 5,772 in 2011 to 11,648 in 2016, a 102 percent increase over six years.

The city backs up its application with a report on police incidents done by a consultant to the commission.

The city received a cost estimate on a dispatch center from Pomroy Associates on Jan. 30, and applied for the grant on Feb. 1.

The estimate is based on a facility with 2,500 square feet of space, including a break room, lockers, a bathroom and a computer room.

The city's application was posted online by the commission Thursday afternoon. It has not set a date on when to vote on the request.

Plainville was the only other local community to apply for funding in the current round of grants. It is asking for $148,750 to buy a small fire truck for use within the casino parking garage.

JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0399, at jhand@thesunchronicle.com and on Twitter @TSCPolitics.

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Attleboro seeks gambling grant for new dispatch center - The Sun Chronicle