What a surprise. The Fredonia Police Department, in a recent meeting, says it needs more room.

Welcome to the recurring north-county story of poor decision-making from the past that continues to hamper our lifestyles today. How many times has the antiquated station that we all know is too small been an issue for the community?

Over the last two decades, we’ve heard the complaints and concerns. Not only from current Chief David Price but from those who preceded him.

What has the community leadership done? What it normally does when there is a problem: nothing to very little.

Were there possible solutions with potential funding? Of course, but villagers did not like them because it meant two police departments — in Dunkirk and Fredonia — might be sharing one state-of-the-art facility near the city and village border.

Since we could not find common ground for that shared facility, which was discussed some 19 years ago and touched on numerous times in recent years, here we sit with a problem we have known exists but we don’t want to do anything about.

Do both Police Departments deserve better locations? They sure do. But the option of one facility for two departments has been too progressive — and scary — to happen for this region.

So now, Price and the Fredonia police are in the same situation they have been in for eons. It needs more space in a building that is already full — and too cramped to allow for proper upgrades.

This is one more example of government being slow — and very stubborn. Those characteristics ultimately lead to the results municipalities seem to thrive on: being ineffective.