New Chambersburg police station built for 21st-century policing: Look inside

The new Chambersburg police station is not only a big upgrade in style and security, but its amenities allow the borough police department to fulfill requirements as a newly accredited agency.

The Chambersburg Police Department is back next to Borough Hall, having moved into the completely renovated and expanded facility in early October.

The old police station was dark, cramped and inefficient in many ways. The new one is bright, about double the size of the old station at 23,000 square feet and built to serve a 21st-century police force that must keep up with a growing community.

"This is going to be our home for a while, so it's nice to have that future outlook," said Cpl. James Iverson, an eight-year veteran of the CPD who recently gave a reporter a tour of the new facility.

Security a priority for new Chambersburg police station

Security was a key element in the design of the police station. Almost every door requires a key card, and police officers and other personnel only get access to the spaces they need to work in. Additionally, it's impossible to miss the security cameras along the ceiling that capture almost every inch of the facility.

"Security in a police facility is extremely important," said Inspector Meredith Domenick, who serves as the chief administrative lieutenant. "We have things locked because there are certain things people should not have access to."

The key cards allow the department to keep a record of who has used, say, the evidence collection room, and when.

No one is constantly watching feeds from the many security cameras, according to Iverson. But they can be accessed on computers at the police station, and police officers can view them from any time in their patrol vehicles. A TV mounted in the patrol division room also shows camera feeds.

"We have cameras not to watch each other … but to support that we're doing what we need to be doing lawfully," Domenick said.

Domenick shared an anecdote that demonstrates how the increased security measures help police and personnel identify possible threats.

While moving into the building a few weeks ago, a panic alarm went off in the sallyport, which is where police vehicles park to unload people in custody. Because of the extensive camera system, someone was able to check the video feed and discovered the alarm went off because something had bumped a ground-level sensor.

"It was something innocent, but we could check out the camera and see there was no threat," Domenick said.

The harmless situation offered a lesson in how the security system could help in a more serious situation. Say an officer had a suspect in the sallyport and a scuffle broke out. The officer could hit the sensor to set off the alarm and get help.

New station supports Chambersburg Police Department's accreditation

Domenick is the only woman to ever serve as a police chief in Franklin County, having led Shippensburg Police Department for more than two years before leaving in mid-2021 to take her current job in Chambersburg. In addition to handling body camera footage, one of her key administrative duties is maintaining the department's accreditation with the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Long a goal of Chief Ron Camacho, CPD was named an accredited department in July.

Domenick pointed to the "state of the art" evidence room as an example where improved organization, and therefore security, were necessary for CPD to gain accreditation.

It contains a wall of lockers of various sizes. Police officers put an item in an appropriate locker (including a temperature-controlled one) and log it on a form, then an evidence custodian working on the other side processes the items, Iverson said. He added that the evidence storage room has a number of levels and space for expansion.

At the old police station, officers put items down a chute and the evidence custodian could come to work to find a heap of items to go through, Iverson said.

"Not that it wouldn't have been (organized) before, but now it absolutely has to be," Domenick said. "We are an accredited agency. They hold us to standards, most of which we were already doing. That's one of the wonderful things about CPD. We recognize that standards, being held accountable and being transparent is extremely important to today's policing."

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Other highlights of the new Chambersburg police station

Patrol Division office: When police officers are not on patrol in the community, they will generally work here to file reports and complete other work. The room has eight workspaces, half of which are used in any given shift. And there is room to grow.

Criminal Investigation Division: This room contains offices for each detective (some are empty, so there's room to grow) on the perimeter, with a large conference table in the middle of the room. This is where most of the planning and brainstorming happens for cases that need follow-ups.

As Iverson explained: “If it's something where, say, hey you had a stabbing, you have the person in custody, there's no followup investigation needed, patrol will just handle that. But say the victim is gonna be flown out, you didn’t get a statement from them, there's gonna be additional investigation, then a detective will be assigned to go ahead and finish up the investigation.”

Sallyport: Police officers transporting a suspect to the police station pull into the enclosed garage and securely move the subject to a nearby holding cell. Previously, there was just an open passageway. Domenick said many police stations don't have a sallyport.

Locker rooms: Not only is the men's locker room much bigger and nicer than the old space in the former police annex, which stood where a garage/storage now stands, there is finally a women's locker room.

Gym/defensive tactics training room: This is something many police agencies do not have, Domenick said. There were rolled-up mats and sparse equipment when this reporter saw it, but Domenick said they hope to get a treadmill, exercise bike and more. In addition to police personnel using the space to keep in shape, it will also be the place where they annually train on things such as handcuffing subjects. “It just makes it better if you're keeping it fresh in your mind, certain grips and stuff," Iverson said.

Conference room: This is another new addition for CPD. This is where officers will review plans before, for example, executing a search warrant or working a rally or other big event. Lectures and community trainings could also be held here.

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How much did the new Chambersburg police station cost?

Local officials celebrated the grand opening of the new police station connected to Borough Hall in September. It's the second part of a two-phase project that began with the renovation and expansion of the borough's facility, which was completed in 2018. According to a project timeline shared at the Oct. 23 Borough Council meeting, the first steps toward the project began in 2009.

In the end, the total cost for the police station renovation and addition project came to $10,336,304. With $3.2 million in grants from Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, the borough was on the hook for $7,136,304.

The actual construction came to $6,437,000. The final price tag includes $1.2 million in costs associated with the temporary police station on Orchard Drive.

To pay for the police station project, Borough Council raised taxes by two mills — one mill was phased in in 2022, and the other (which was decreased from 1.5 mills) in 2023. Borough Manager Jeff Stonehill said those two mills are expected to be part of the borough's tax rate until the police station's mortgage is paid off in 23 years. For the average property owner, it comes to about $35 a year.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Chambersburg Police Department begins new era at new station