The New Police Station

Actually, the police department will be moving into what is an "older" building, probably in early to mid-Spring. Some might ask, "Hey, what do we need a new police station for? The old one's worked fine since 1974." The answer is simple: It really hasn't worked "fine" for some time now.

It's a different Peoria Heights than the one that existed in 1974. For that matter, it's a different Peoria, Central Illinois, Illinois, United States, and WORLD than what was with us in 1974. That's a no-brainer. Our police force has had to increase in size, scope, and vision. Crimes are different, more involved, and sometimes just plain meaner, and what is necessary to fight them, or just as importantly, keep them OUT of the Village, requires more room.

The police station we have now is archaic at best, dangerous at its worst. There is no holding area for suspects that protects not only the police, but also the public. The police work out of what is basically 3 larger closets. That's it. There are two offices in the basement for the Deputy Police Chief and the Detective, and they are just about the size of large closets, as well. The time had come to increase the size of the police station, dramatically. And, the time really had passed many years ago.

We looked into the cost of adding on to Village Hall, not only for the police, but also the Fire Department. The cost of doing so ran around 3-4 million dollars. We're talking almost near Streetscape money here. That was unacceptable. The former Williams Brothers office building had been up for sale for several months, and would fit the police needs nicely. We were able to purchase it for $495,000.00, a much cheaper option than adding on to Village Hall. On top of that, Tom Williams Sr. gave us a deal that made it even more enticing. Payment over 5 years, with NO interest charge! We cannot thank Tom Williams, Sr. and Williams Brothers enough for this thoughtful gesture.

The next time you have a chance to talk to a Peoria Heights police officer, ask him or her what this new police station will mean for their safety; their ability to do their job; and for morale. Chief Dustin Sutton and everyone on the force has worked hard and long to make our police department a model of consistency and pride. The least that they deserve is a proper facility to do their work from.