Timnath celebrates grand opening of first police station: a building to 'grow into'

The Timnath Police Department finally has a home of its own.

The department celebrated the grand opening of its building at 5601 E. Harmony Road on Thursday night, exactly one year after town officials broke ground on the project.

"It's incredible, it's fantastic," Timnath Police Chief Terry Jones said at Thursday's grand opening celebration.

The department will move into the 22,000-square-foot station early next year, Jones said. Previously, officers had been working out of town offices at 4800 Goodman Road.

The new facility will allow the department to grow its police force and provide 24/7 coverage of the town. The department currently employs 15 uniformed officers and two technicians, Jones said, which leaves the department understaffed by seven officers. Jones said he hopes to fill additional positions early next year.

Currently, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office assists with calls in Timnath when officers aren't on duty.

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Timnath's new station features several things to support the growing department, including office space for patrol officers and administration, a front desk protected by bullet-resistant glass, multiple interview rooms, holding cells, a gym, a kitchen, meeting rooms, training areas, evidence collection and storage facilities, and storage space for weapons and body cameras. The parking lot will also function as a "safe zone" for community members buying or selling things online, with video surveillance set up outside the building.

"It's a building we can grow into," Jones said.

Existing office space is built in for when new staff is hired, and there's room to expand the building south to add an area for detectives, a crime lab and more evidence storage as the department grows, Jones said. The goal is for the building to meet the needs of the community and the department for the next 20 to 30 years.

"We've got a ways to go before we're at capacity," Jones said.

Timnath residents surveyed in 2018 said public safety was their top priority, and this facility has been in the works since 2019. Jones thanked the community and the town council for their support in getting this built. The station was built within the set $13.4 million budget and paid for entirely with town funds.

“This police department will help facilitate the professionalism that we expect out of our officers, but the highest bar is set by the community that we serve,” Jones told the crowd at Thursday's grand opening celebration. “We are proud to be here to help and serve you because this is what it’s all about.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Timnath celebrates grand opening of first police station