![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_d27c65ba9f1842f3be37d24b1d0d45b6~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_78,w_903,h_487/fill/w_903,h_487,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
A NEW POLICE BUILDING WITH
A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY
Case Study - Arlington Heights, Illinois
New Building,
New Approach
The Arlington Heights Police
Department in Arlington Heights,
Illinois, had been housed in a cramped,
outdated building for years. When the
time finally came to begin planning and
constructing a new facility, the design
team had several overarching goals:
they wanted to improve comfort and
efficiency for officers and staff, create
a welcoming space for the community,
and provide secure storage for records
and evidence. The design team was
also committed to making the best
use of taxpayer funds by investing in
high-quality fixtures and materials that
would stand the test of time.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_9dbef1a74bf14486a350d0afcd761286~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_41,w_903,h_658/fill/w_600,h_437,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
The Arlington Heights Police Department wanted the new facility to help
build and maintain positive connections to the community it serves.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_0379df7393c8478c920adadbd346a36a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_903,h_411,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
A law enforcement facility welcomes the community & improves officer comfort and efficiency.
Welcoming the Community
Like many police departments throughout the United States, the AHPD wanted to strengthen its relationship with the community. The department had been pursuing a number of community-oriented programming initiatives for years, and now they had the opportunity to build a physical structure that reflected this goal. They wanted a large community room to host meetings and gatherings, and they wanted public spaces to be filled with natural light to help create a pleasant,
inviting atmosphere.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_36e91f7dc68944c2baa075659c403899~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_908,h_355,al_c,lg_1,q_80,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
Rifles and duty bags are stored in lockers adjacent to the garage, so officers can pick up their gear on the way to their patrol cars. “We wanted to minimize carrying heavy gear through the building,” said the deputy chief.
Improving Comfort & Workflow
The building’s secure areas are designed to promote efficient workflows and minimize wasted time and inconvenience.
“It’s all about efficiency,” said Deputy Police Chief Nicholas Pecora. “In our previous building, we had to go down to the basement, get all our gear out of the old high-school style lockers, then come upstairs to roll call, put all our stuff down while we got our assignments, then gather it all up again and head out to the garage. You needed a sherpa to get through the building.”
The new building takes a completely new approach. The locker rooms are upstairs, so officers can get dressed and go down to the main floor for roll call. Duty bag lockers (see above) are conveniently located between the briefing room and
garage. “Now you grab all your heavy gear on the way to your car,” Pecora said. “It’s so much better.”
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_cdbcda49cab24ab7b3a0819eb7dfeb76~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_75,w_903,h_411/fill/w_903,h_411,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
Turning a Tragedy Into an Asset
Like many cities across the Midwest, Arlington Heights had to cut down thousands of ash trees due to infestation by an insect called the emerald ash borer. Fortunately, the public works department had the foresight to keep the trunks of larger trees. When the time came to plan and construct the new police building, those trees were milled and used for
paneling and tables. Similar ash wood was incorporated into the design of the Spacesaver FreeStyle lockers.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_525c8fa4d4c94207be4be4a0fe6fd8a4~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_332,h_698,al_c,q_80,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
Securing Records & Evidence
Securely tracking and storing evidence and records are vital functions of any police department. The AHPD gained accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2008 and followed strict procedures to maintain it during and after the move to the new building.
To help ensure that evidence and records are documented, transferred,
and stored in compliance with CALEA-approved procedures, the
department uses Spacesaver evidence lockers and high density storage
systems. High-density systems consist of shelving that moves along rails installed in the floor to optimize space and provide room to grow. These systems are located in the records room and the long-term evidence storage area.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_e3cd73d6feb84cf8ab35235f9b8d41cc~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_546,h_337,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
Biological evidence needs to be kept cold, and this half-height pass-through refrigerated evidence locker preserve
evidence as it’s transferred from the collecting officer to the AHPD’s in-house evidence lab. Pass-through lockers allow officers to deposit evidence from one side of a wall, and then evidence technicians can access the evidence from the highly secure evidence processing area.
The new building welcomes the community while also promoting efficiency and providing secure storage for evidence, records, weapons, and personal gear.
The department wanted to get the best value while bypassing the cumbersome bidding process. That’s why they used the National IPA contract (now under OMNIA Partners) to acquire the Spacesaver personal storage lockers, evidence lockers, shelving, and duty bag lockers throughout the new facility.
![[Case Study] A New Police Building with](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/116705_987f663a03e543baa412e3c53471c98b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_528,h_408,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BCase%20Study%5D%20A%20New%20Police%20Building%20with%20.jpg)
Secure Solutions
for Law Enforcement
At Spacesaver, we understand that a big part
of fighting crime is making sure that everyone
in your organization has what they need, when
they need it. That’s why our in-house teams
work with our distribution network to optimize
space and streamline workflows in public safety
buildings throughout North America.
As you begin thinking about a new building or renovation project, contact your local Spacesaver consultant to request a free space assessment and learn more about your options.