Grayslake police show off new digs

This is one time you won't mind getting an up-close look at jail cells, a police booking area and interview rooms for criminal suspects.

Grayslake Mayor Timothy Perry and other officials will host a dedication ceremony for the village's new police headquarters at 11 a.m. today. The $3.5 million structure is attached to the village hall on Seymour Avenue in downtown Grayslake.

As Grayslake's newest public building, the police facility will provide officers with state-of-the-art amenities without being extravagant, said Assistant Village Manager Matt Formica, who provided a sneak-peek tour Friday.

Features include four individual camera-monitored jail cells adjacent to a central booking area, private interview rooms and meeting space that can be shared with village government employees.

"The shared spaces create efficiencies," Formica said.

Police Chief Larry Herzog said the four jail cells -- complete with bunk, sink and toilet -- in the new building will accommodate prisoners for up to 48 hours and represent a vast upgrade.

Herzog said prisoners cannot be held more than eight hours in the current police station's cells because they don't have toilets. He said that means Grayslake police sometimes are forced to transfer a suspect to other suburbs' facilities.

Overall police work should benefit from the new structure, the chief said.

"It's going to improve operations in that we'll have enough space and enough locations to perform functions separately and together," Herzog said.

Safety in the new building will be enhanced from a direct entrance from the street and into a garage near the jail cells, he said. Known as a sallyport, the setup will allow the garage to lock before the officers bring suspected criminals into the jail area.

Formica said the old police station likely will be demolished by year's end. Condominiums as part of a larger development will go up in its place.