MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. — A police department in a small Colorado town is stuck working out of a trailer in a parking lot as the city remodels its police headquarters.
Manitou Springs Police said this temporary fix is needed to allow needed upgrades and improvements to be made.
Thursday was the first day in action for Manitou Springs' new police station. "So far, so good," said Alex Trefry, public information officer for Manitou Springs Police.
It's a temporary fix. "Yeah, absolutely," Trefry said.
The work trailer will serve as the department's home for the next four months. It's parked outside of Manitou Pool & Fitness Center just up the road from the department headquarters.
Inside, quarters are very tight.
"Of course patrol officers can work out of their cars for various things," Trefry said. "The front desk services are there and then, there are offices in city buildings for police leadership and things of that nature. It will be tight but we'll make it work."
If anyone is arrested, Trefry said the circumstances, nature of the crime and how the person is acting will help determine how the person is held.
"Anybody who is under holding during that period could be held in the patrol vehicle if the officer is present as well as be taken for temporary holding at the county jail," he said.
These temporary compromises are needed to give crews time to fix up their department.
"There's going to be improvements to just about everything," Trefry said.
The remodel will cost $675,000. A grant from the Department of Local Affairs will help cover $350,000. The city will cover the rest. Trefry said the improvements being made to the facility will address unsafe and unsanitary conditions, particularly in the holding cells.
"The current conditions, you need about two police officers to be with anybody who is under that temporary hold while they're going outside of that holding to the bathroom to use the facilities," Trefry said. "Now, after this remodel is done there's going to be separate firearms storage, separate temporary evidence storage, as well as two holding cells so we can hold multiple people. And then both of those holding cells are going to have restrooms and sink services that they should."
When they're done, along with improvements to the restrooms, holding cells, temporary evidence storage and firearms lockup, the lobby will also be altered to make it ADA accessible.
Over in the patrol room, they'll shift from long tables with open workspaces towards workstations to allow officers more privacy to deal with confidential information.
While these next few months in the work trailer may be tough, Trefry said the department is excited for these improvements that will help the department better serve the community in the years to come.
"They work here every day, this is their second home so it's always good when you're getting that improvement to make your job better, easier and safer," he said.
Demolition work starts Jan. 3. The department estimates work to be completed and ready for officers to move back in by mid-April.
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