NCJ Number
210849
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 72 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2005 Pages: 47-50
Date Published
July 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the O'Fallen Police Department (Illinois) designed a new building to reflect the priority of community policing in engaging the public as part of daily departmental business.
Abstract
The philosophy underlying the facility's design was to provide a building that not only met the needs of the police agency but also the needs of the community in its interaction with police in the promotion of public safety. The author, who is O'Fallon's chief of police, describes the political process involved in the decision to build a new facility that would function as a community center as well as a police headquarters. Also discussed is the selection of the site, followed by a section on "designing a community space." The latter challenge was to design the facility as a place that the community would visit and use, without interfering with the work of the police. This involved designing an inviting exterior with large windows in the front lobby. When entering the building, the visitor initially experiences a wide, open, and airy lobby more characteristic of a community center than a police station. Beyond the lobby area, the visitor sees a calming interior atrium courtyard. Just off the lobby is the community room, a large, flexible meeting space that can be reserved by local groups and organizations. Since completion, this room has become a popular meeting location for area scout organizations, civic clubs, and other community groups. The article concludes with a discussion of designing a building that anticipates future needs.