Springfield shows off police HQ

Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston spent the afternoon of Nov. 9 guiding public tours of his department's new Clinton Street police station, which occupies the old Lucas Industries building next to the GoGo gas station.

Springfield shows off police HQ

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 10:09 AM
By KATELYN HARDING-Staff Writer
Twin State Valley Media Network's Eagle-Times

Nicholas Ondre, a 7-year-old resident of Springfield, could not have been more excited to go to jail.

That is, he was excited to tour the new police station in Springfield during an open house Sunday afternoon.

"My son loves police -- he's a big fan," Ondre's father, Kevin said, and added that the tour would be "good information to know" as residents of Springfield.

By three in the afternoon, 16 groups had already gone through the open house, which took residents through the much-larger headquarters on Clinton Street. (The police department went from being in the basement of the Springfield Town Hall to occupying 9,600 square feet in a 16,000O square-foot building.

Ondre was part of a group led by Chief of Police Douglas S. Johnston.

"Oh, it's 110 percent better -- it allows us room to work," Johnston said. "The biggest change (is having) adequate workspace."

Johnston showed the group interview rooms, with the double-sided glass, his new office, the processing room and holding cells, including a handicap one. He also discussed the new fingerprint machine, which is computer-based.

The new workout room would be beneficial because it would encourage "healthier officers," according to Johnston.

The new station is occupying the space formerly known as Lucas Industries. Lucas Industries moved into a larger facility at the former Kiosko building in North Springfield in January of this year.

Johnston said that from start to finish, it took about two years for the new police station to open.

Springfield voters passed a $2.25 million bond in March of 2007, and of that amount, $825,000 was used to pay for the building and the surrounding site.

At the end of the tour, Nicholas said, with a little help from his dad, that his favorite part was the processing room and holding cells.