SPPD to Hold Open House at New Headquarters
By Brandi Makuski
Stevens Point police on Dec. 20 will offer the public tours of their new headquarters for the first time.
The city’s police force began relocating to the former Mid-State Building in late October, after decades of space and security problems at their previous location in the basement of the courthouse. The department opened their public service window at the new location on Nov. 30.
The new location offers dedicated office space the dept. didn’t have before, to include private areas for forensic and mental health officers, a comfortable interview room for victims of sensitive crimes, and onsite training space.
“The city keeps growing to the east, so this is a more centralized spot for the department,” said Assistant Chief Mike Rottier of the move. “It just makes more sense to be here than stuck in the basement on a one-way street.”
Each room also comes with individual thermostats, something officers and staff haven’t had in the past. An outdated HVAC system at the courthouse created multiple problems for the police dept., requiring air conditioners to run year-round in some spaces – such as the department’s server room – while space heaters were needed in others.
Assistant Police Chief Tom Zenner said security is also improved in the new space; victims and suspects will no longer use the same entrance, and will no longer need to pass each other when being moved between rooms.
Though some minor renovations and improvements were made prior to moving in, officers will mostly use the building “as is” for the next 18 months, at which point the city will release funding for construction of a police garage and other improvements.
“It’ll be kind of like the fire department, where we’ll be pulling out right to the street,” Rottier said.
The tours will be offered on Dec. 20, shortly after a ribbon-cutting by officers and the Portage Co. Business Council. The ceremony begins at 4 PM.