DANVILLE, Va. – The Danville Police Department is finally moving into their brand-new headquarters after seven years of planning and construction on the building.
Since 1926, the Danville police department has made the basement of City Hall their primary working location.
The bigger space has already helped boost the team’s morale, and it might even get some new people to join.
“I added it up the other day I spent 20 years without any windows,” said Lieutenant Colonial Dean Hairston.
Hairston was involved in the design process for the 18-million-dollar, three-story building.
According to Hairston, one of his top responsibilities was making sure the building was secure by installing ballistic glass and buzzers.
“At the other facility people could freely during the day walk in and wander through the building. Now, you have to be buzzed in and we’ve limited the footprint people can occupy,” said Hairston.
It is four times larger than its previous location, and it comes with many more lockers and other amenities such as a fitness center and training rooms.
“You know it’s almost better than Christmas,” Hairston said.
The City Manager, Ken Larking, said that they were “stuck in City Hall in downtown asphalt all around, sidewalks all around. There really wasn’t an opportunity for the community to gather.”
But now there is a basketball court and multipurpose rooms, so people can get to know each other better.
“But, actually exponentially build on that trust so that when things happen, hopefully, they get avoided before they happen, we can get them solved pretty quickly.”
After all the necessary preparations are done, the department will open in October.
