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New Bartlett police station a welcome upgrade for officers, staff

Bartlett's new police station has been completed on time, possibly slightly under its nearly $20 million budget, and is providing employees and the public additional space and state-of-the-art technology.

Despite their commitment to a challenging profession, officers and civilians accustomed to working in a building less than half as large have been excited about the new station and its improved amenities, Bartlett Police Chief Patrick Ullrich said.

"I think it really helps because they have the tools and the space they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently," he added.

As little as most residents and visitors may hope to need police assistance, the larger station at 228 S. Main St. aims to provide victims and witnesses a more comfortable and private space, and virtually eliminate a previous issue of proximity to suspects.

The former station on the same site next to village hall was 22,900 square feet, having been opened in 1991 to accommodate 40 employees. By the time approval was given for the new station in 2017, the department had 77 employees.

Though the new facility designed by Itasca-based Williams Architects is 48,982 square feet, a way was found to keep it next to village hall by dividing both demolition and construction into two phases.

"The village board really wanted to keep the police facility in the downtown area," Ullrich said. "It's a nice focal point of the downtown area."

That came at the cost of some on-site parking, but a new employee lot has been built directly across the street.

Phase one of the project opened May 24, while the second phase opened Jan. 2.

Deputy Police Chief Geoff Pretkelis said the station will become fully operational on Monday, when the department returns its detention processing equipment from the Hanover Park police station, where prisoners have been housed during construction.

While there was only one meeting room for staff in the old station, there is now space for different groups to meet simultaneously. And people who didn't have offices before now do - including the department psychologist and visiting assistant state's attorneys from the three counties in which Bartlett lies.

One of the most significant improvements compared to the old building is the training room, which now is large enough to allow all available personnel to attend sessions at the same time, Pretkelis said. And there is now adequate space to store evidence longer - a change in legal requirements since the previous station opened.

Technological advances allow the location and status of officers on patrol to be tracked on computer monitors and to sign out with a laser scan the emergency medical equipment they take with them on the streets.

Employees' families will get a chance to see the new station during a family night Saturday, Feb. 23, while a specific date for a public open house is still being pinned down for either the late spring or early summer.

  Bartlett Deputy Police Chief Geoff Pretkelis shows the gun range of the police department's newly completed station next to village hall. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  Bartlett Police Chief Patrick Ullrich examines a special padded cell in the detention area of the newly completed police station next to village hall. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  Bartlett police Sgt. Kyle Rybaski demonstrates how the medical packs and automatic defibrillators patrol officers take with them can now be quickly signed in and out with a laser scan at the new police station next to village hall. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  Bartlett police Sgt. Kyle Rybaski demonstrates a computer monitor that tracks the location and status of the department's patrol cars at the village's newly completed police station. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  The training room of Bartlett's new police station is large enough to allow all available personnel to attend training sessions simultaneously, unlike in the building it's replaced. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  The fresh dedication plaque in the lobby of Bartlett's newly completed police station at 228 S. Main St., next to village hall. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
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