City Police Station Officially Dedicated

(CITY POLICE CHIEF JEFF FUESTING SNIPS THE RIBBON TO MARK THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE EFFINGHAM CITY POLICE STATION)

A breezy, but sunny Valentine's Day marked the occasion of the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Effingham's new police station.

"State of the Art" was the phrase often heard to describe the 26,457 square foot facility located along 3rd Street, immediately south of Effingham City Hall.

Construction of the facility began in July 2017 and was concluded in January. Open Houses for the business community and the general public took place prior to Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

(EFFINGHAM'S NEW CITY POLICE STATION)

The station features an open area for the general public, but secure areas both for the force and staff. There is a large training and community room that Police Chief Jeff Fuesting said is in use for a five-day training session this week. The City 911 dispatch center is located in the new building and goes on-line today. There is also a secure sallyport with a processing area for suspects.

Officials say the building will be energy-efficient, and there is area on the second floor available for growth.

The new station is built on the site of the previous police station, which was a remodeled Kroger store from the 1970s. A little-known fact is that the 30,000 bricks used on the project were made at the same brick plant and laid by the same mason as worked on City Hall 20 years ago.