NCJ Number
165194
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 63 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1996) Pages: 16-18,21,23-24
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features and the planning for Elgin, Illinois' new community policing facility.
Abstract
Elgin's new law enforcement facility reflects many of the changes in policing philosophy, having been designed to encourage police-community partnerships and communication. The design will allow the police to perform law enforcement operations safely while giving residents access to the building and police personnel. The new building is an 86,000-square-foot facility that features a large public lobby, which provides direct public access to records, crime prevention, and meeting and interview rooms. A glass exterior on the main-entrance side of the building invites citizens to witness the positive interaction of police department personnel and the community, and a three-story atrium with workstations on each balcony creates visual openness and public accessibility. The secure side of the building, with limestone and brick walls and windows similar to those in several of Elgin's historic downtown buildings, is designed around a central police-activities corridor. The first-floor area integrates roll call, evidence preparation, report writing, and watch commanders along a linear path of travel between locker rooms and police parking. The second floor contains the juvenile and investigation units as well as a 26-bed lockup facility. The third floor houses the administrative offices and a five-station 911 communications center. In addition, the building contains a multimedia training center, a five-position firing range and interactive video firearms training room, modern locker facilities, and a physical fitness area. It was designed with future expansion capability for a third-floor addition. This article describes the cooperative work of the architects, the construction management firm, and a project leadership team composed of community leaders.