New Police Community Center Opens in Troutdale

NEW POLICE COMMUNITY CENTER OPENS IN TROUTDALE

The newest addition to the downtown community is our Troutdale Police and Community Center. This facility replaces the current police station, which was originally built as a bank branch with four employees. Currently there are 34 employees that operate out of that old bank building. Calling it inadequate would be quite the understatement!

However, the voters in Troutdale approved a bond measure that allowed construction of the current building located on Kendall Court just a block south from downtown. The city originally purchased the property several years ago in anticipation of replacing the city hall and the police station. However, the city council determined that first priority was the construction of a new police facility.

The new facility has features that will make police work much more efficient. From the outside you will notice large roll up steel doors and a sally port allowing police vehicles to drive inside the building. This is referred to as a Sally port. The purpose is to bring arrested subjects into the building to safely be placed in one of three holding cells. The accommodations in the holding area are for both adults and youths. This area has been carefully designed to protect all classes of arrestees.

On that same level is the evidence room where materials can be cataloged and processed. They also have the ability to bring a vehicle inside that has been used in committing a crime or used in some other illegal activity.

The community room has been carefully designed to provide multiple services. Meetings involving neighborhood watch, code enforcement and educational classes for the public will take place. Police officers from other agencies along with our officers will conduct training exercises. This room can also serve as an Incident Command Post should the need arise.

 

 

Dan Reef with Triplett Wellman adds polishing touch to Troutdale
Police Medallion at the main entrance.

 

 The second level will house locker rooms and clean-up areas for officers. The command center of the department will have separate work spaces as well. Detectives will finally have enough room to work to make their job much easier.

When the construction team visited other communities’ police stations they heard from every chief in those communities that they had not planned for enough storage. We have learned from others that storage on site is critical for efficient operations. There is adequate storage for evidence and documentation and other tools that are critical to police work.

At this same facility we have an investigator for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. If there is a complaint locally the investigator can respond quickly. Otherwise we would have to call in an investigator from The Dalles. There is some cost recovery from the OLCC for this accommodation.

Every attention to detail from the construction team has been carefully scrutinized. Police Chief Scott Anderson, Lieutenant Joel Wendland will finally be able to get some rest after spending countless hours totally immersed in this project. The building has been constructed for current and future needs and hopefully will serve our city well for decades to come.

 

 

 

Mike Goss, the chairman of the Police Advisory Safety Committee, commented “in a difficult economy, when most bond measures failed, we all said, YES.”  It’s our community’s way of paying it back to our police department. It’s also our way of paying it forward for all the services we will receive from this facility, for the rest of the century.”

Government first priority to the citizenry is to make sure we live in a safe community. This facility will help to accomplish that goal for generations to come. We want to thank the voters and residents of Troutdale for their support.  The morale in the department is very high as a result. From the chief comes an invitation to come and visit the community center and help your officers to continue to make Troutdale a most livable city. An engaged community is a safe community.