Chief Inspector Robert Eichler, commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau, however, said the public could still file complaints at any police district station, at City Hall, even through the mail. Will Gonzalez, executive director of the Police-Barrio Relations Project, acknowledges all those filing options, but he argues that moving the bureau to the Northeast sends the wrong message. But relocating Internal Affairs headquarters to the 7700 block of Dungan Road near Rhawn Street is needed, Eichler said, because its current location is falling apart. The three-story building at 323 Race St. is bracketed by scaffolding because it is literally crumbling. The building is blocked off in front by a tall chain-link fence.
Scaffolding stretches down both sides of the building as a protective measure.
Part of the cornice fell off several years ago. The bricks appear to have been tan or sand-colored once, but now they are a sooty gray and cracking in spots. He said the building also had heating and air-conditioning problems. He said it would probably cost more to renovate the building than to buy another one. The property on Dungan Road, obtained by the city with City Council approval, will offer Internal Affairs at least 30 percent more space than it now has at Race Street, Eichler said.