News Reporter
The Grand Junction Police Department has a new place to call home. Saturday was the grand opening of the 911 and police facilities on Sixth and Ute.
“This is a project that everyone in the community can be proud of,” City Manager Bill Pitts said Saturday in his dedication speech. “[It is] critical to the quality of life in Grand Junction.”
The $32.7 million facility was eventually built after long controversy over the cost. It has more space, includes a state-of-the-art 911 dispatch center, and has several new features that the department desperately needed.
“This project is symbolic about what is right in Grand Junction and what could be right in the rest of our country,” Clark Atkinson of Shaw Construction said.
Blithe Group Co., owned by Roy Blithe, designed the building. Pitts, Blithe, Atkinson and Chief of Police John Camper all gave speeches for the official opening.
GJPD now has 58,652 square feet to work in, which is 27,000 extra square feet than the old station had.
The Grand Junction Police Department Public Information Officer, Kate Porras, explained that the original police station was built to house 30 employees. By the time the new building was finished, the force had over 200 people.
“It wasn’t conducive to serving the public,” Porras said. “The old building was literally falling apart.”
The wiring was unsafe, which would start fires regularly, and there was very little security in the nearly 60-year-old building.
The first floor of the new building houses the special teams and sergeants, patrol, briefing and traffic departments as well as holding cells, interrogation rooms and the property and evidence department. The second floor contains administration, forensics, investigation, victim services, and a chemical lab.
“I’ve never worked in a new building,” employee Claire Stender said.
Another employee, Mary Speer, explained one of the added features called the Faraday Room. The room is coated with Faraday, which keeps out all cell phone service. It allows evidence on cell phones to be processed without a chance of being changed.
“I don’t know of any other agencies in Colorado that have one,” Speer said.
Another new safety measure is called the “man-trap.” After hours, the police station will leave its outside set of doors unlocked. In the case of an emergency, someone can run inside the bullet-resistant doors and push a red button, which will immediately lock the doors. Then, the person can use the provided phone to call 911 dispatchers.
Porras wants to ensure the public knows what is available to them. She encourages people to come down to the station and will also be spreading the word through flyers, social media, and their web site, www.gjcity.org.
kirick@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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