Pingree Grove's new police station nearly complete

Pingree Grove will soon be policing in style.

This week, construction workers are putting the finishing touches on the town's first police station, a $3.5 million, environmentally friendly building.

For nearly a year, the 10-member police force has been roughing it nearby at Pingree Grove Village Hall, a building that doesn't offer indoor plumbing.

But within the next two weeks, the department will relocate to the sprawling 10,000 square foot facility on Reinking Road that boasts comfy chairs, a wireless Internet connection, a washer/dryer, spacious offices - and running water.

"It was good as a temporary facility," Police Chief Carol Lussky said of village hall. "But this is beautiful," she said, gesturing around the new cop shop.

The police station isn't quite ready for its close up

A pair of mattresses with attached pillows for cell mates, various computers and a breathalyzer are still on order.

A section of flooring also needs to be completed, said Dave Zipoi, the project's manager for Shales McNutt Construction.

The public can view the station during an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 9.

The police station, which has room for 25 officers, meets standards set by the U.S. Environmental Agency.

The agency uses the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, the nationally accepted bench mark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

As such, the building's lights save energy with motion sensors that turn the lights on or off when someone enters or exits a room.

Additionally, each room is outfitted with a system that recaptures heat or cold air and prevents it from leaving the facility.

"The system costs more, but you recapture your money within three to five years," said Deputy Chief Shawn Beane.

Temporary inmates will be kept in a pair of 8 foot by 10 feet cells that include a mirror, sink, toilets and a built-in bench to sleep on.

If they decide to flood the toilets or make a mess in some other way within their cells, all officials have to do is hose the space down.

The water trickles into a drain outside the cells and a button nearby flushes its contents.

Officials say that although they don't need all of the space within the station, they will within the next 20 years with Pingree Grove's ongoing growth.

And although the village is not known for violent crime, the reception desk is covered in bulletproof glass as a safety precaution.

"Just because you never know," Lussky said. "We have to plan for the worst and hope for the best because it's a strange world."