It was not ideal, but everyone knew it would end.
That is finally happening.
Construction work is completed but Chief John Jones said they have been going over the project, looking for punchlist items that need to be corrected and gave a list of them to the contractor who has spent the past week giving attention to them.
Lt. Geoff Robinson has been involved with the overall renovation project and Chief Jones said he was working with the contractor on those issues.
“The contractor is making sure we get the building we designed. We’re getting there,” Robinson said.
The basement floor is critical for police operation since that is where prisoners are brought to be processed and jailed, if necessary, and is also where evidence is processed.
Officers have a laundry room, shower rooms, locker rooms and fitness center also on that level.
While the project had originally be scheduled to be completed in June, it took a little longer than expected but the chief said it will be in full use by the time the new academic year begins and they are making plans to show it off to the citizens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Aug. 29, the evening of the Community Picnic the department hosts Uptown in the parks.
The former municipal building has been renovated for the police department with more security than the facility had previously. Two garage doors on Poplar Street, which were the fire department years ago, lead to sally ports where officers bringing in prisoners can do so in a more secure area than the alley which had been done in the past.
“It’s a much safer environment. Officers can ask the dispatcher to open the door,” Jones said. “It’s a secure area.”
Where entering through the sally ports or a hallway door, officers must leave their weapons in gun lockers outside the hallway doors so the booking area remains secure, he added.
There are two closed interview rooms off that hallway inside, too, giving privacy from the booking area where the cells are located. There are three cells—one a holding cell without a toilet and two others with toilet facilities for prisoners who may be there longer pending transportation to the Butler County Jail.
The jail cells are one of the reasons it was more economical to use the building for police operations and move the city administration offices to the former Lane Library building on south College Avenue. It would have been much more expensive to build jail cells into the other location.
“Nothing really changed (with the cell area). We updated fixtures and got a new floor,” the chief said.
The addition of laundry facilities will help officers involved in incidents where uniforms get dirty, so they do not have to do the washing at home. They can also shower at the station, either after a shift or a workout in the new fitness room, which is equipped with weights and several workout machines.
The lockers have pullout panels to sit on which eliminate the need for long benches typically found in such facilities.
“We’ve never had a true locker room before. The wider lockers carry a lot of police gear,” Jones said. “The fitness room is not in use yet since we have not yet taken possession of the downstairs and more equipment is coming. It will be nice for officers to be able to work out before or after work,”
The evidence room has a metal table for officers to use in preparing their evidence and secure pass-through lockers. Officers place items in the lockers and Property Officer Perry Gordon is the only person permitted in the other room on the back side of the lockers. He can remove it and log and store it. There is also a refrigerator in the main room for evidence which needs to be kept cold and there is a drying machine to use on items with blood on them to dry the blood before it can become contaminated.
“The pass-through lockers make it so the handling of evidence maintains the chain of custody,” Jones said. “The refrigerator is for handling of bodily fluids. No officer is permitted in the back room. The blood drying will be a big increase to our efficiency here.”
A new armory on that basement floor will give officers an area to clean their guns and also another room for secure storage of larger weapons.
The building will be open to the public for tours Aug. 29 following a ribbon-cutting at 5:30 p.m. ahead of the start of the Community Picnic. Officers will be on hand to take residents through during the evening.
In his office, Chief Jones has a display of Challenge Coins departments create to exchange at conferences and meetings. On the top row, are several from his department and in the center is the only one that is not round. It is in the shape of the new Police Department building’s front facade.
Jones said it will be great to have the finished facility in full use.
“I commend Lt. Robinson for a lot of work. It’s good to have that detail-oriented person. A lot of staff time was involved,” he said. “Geoff did a great job. It’s all coming together. We’re happy about it.”
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