I know the majority of them voted not to have the police station, and they put it right there so they're reminded of it every time they drive by. I'm curious of how the elections will turn out, whether there will be any repercussions in the elections this year. – Robert Jackson
KAYSVILLE — On a long list of needed upgrades for a new police station, Chief Sol Oberg added one more requirement: It had to be built in a prominent location.
"I wanted somewhere that is really visible and easy to find," Oberg said, looking out on Main Street from the lobby. "Most everyone through their travels, if they live in the city, is going to know where the police station is at. It's important for us that it's accessible for the partnership we're trying to build with the community. We need them to participate in public safety and to feel free to come to us."
The department has been transitioning into the new building at 80 N. Main since March when the aging station, built in 1984, was demolished and paved over.
Over the past two weeks, Oberg has overseen a number of finishing touches and talked with community members who stopped by during an open house. There are still a few items on the chief's to-do list, but the station is starting to feel like home.
But Oberg's enthusiasm is not shared by everyone in Kaysville. The push for a new police station has been hurdling opposition from the public for years, including when 57 percent of voters quashed a $4.5 million municipal bond in 2010 that would have funded the building and a voter-approved proposition last year that pulled back revenue from the electric company that had previously supported officers' pay.
Ultimately, the Kaysville City Council approved a 99.6 percent property tax increase last August to fund "critical needs" in the area, including the station that was already under construction.
As Robert Jackson drives his kids back and forth to nearby Davis High School, he shakes his head every time he passes the police station.
"I know the majority of them voted not to have the police station, and they put it right there so they're reminded of it every time they drive by," said Jackson, who lives in Farmington but has joined his Kaysville friends who disapprove of the station. "I'm curious of how the elections will turn out, whether there will be any repercussions in the elections this year."
However, Denise and Dave Johnson, Kaysville residents of almost 40 years, are surprised it took the city this long to get around to building a new station. Opposition, they believe, was fueled by a dislike of taxes.
"It's a nice looking building. It surprises me how big it is," Dave Johnson said. "I'm hoping it's got everything we need and we'll have it for the next 50 years."
At just under 20,000 square feet, upgrades start the moment you walk through the door into a clean lobby with comfortable seating. In the old 5,500-square-foot facility, Oberg notes, a closet-sized lobby could feel even smaller as victims reporting crimes crossed paths with suspects being brought in for questioning.
Now, the department has two interview rooms just off the lobby, decorated with soft couches and Saturday Evening Post illustrations of friendly police officers, where they can speak with those who come in.
"The design is supposed to bring back the idea of an officer trying to help," Oberg said. "It's place where they can sit down and be comfortable, hopefully to reduce some of that anxiety … so hopefully they can open up to us and tell us everything that's going on."
For Sgt. Seth Ellington, who oversees evidence handling at the department, the move brings efficiency and security, as well as comfort.
"We could never explain it. I can't put into words how grateful we are," Ellington said.
Previously, evidence processing and storage was done in the same room — and on the same table — where officers would take their breaks and eat their lunch. The space also served as an interview room at times.
Now Ellington boasts about the department as an example of best industry practices. Evidence can be dropped off in a locker, which remains secure until it is opened from the other side by someone authorized to work in the evidence storage room. Moving shelves provide ample, organized space for evidence once cluttered wherever the department could find room, and separate storage is available for drugs and firearms.
The $5.4 million facility also includes a number of new spaces that the old building lacked: workspace for volunteers and community partners, a briefing room, a break room, firearm storage, three holding cells, and an intake garage that means officers no longer have to parade someone being taken into custody through a parking lot shared with the city recreation center.
There is also room to grow, Oberg notes, with an office for an assistant chief that the department predicts it will eventually need and space for additional desks. The department currently employs 25 officers, with a 26th to be added before the end of the year, and three civilian staffers.
Oberg is especially proud of a bright, windowed room along the front of the building equipped with top-of-the-line presentation technologies, making it ideal for officer conferences and community workshops, and hardwired to serve as a command post for emergencies.
As the station was being built, critics called the room extravagant and unnecessary, Oberg says, but the chief maintains its importance. Before, the department had to look for spaces around town to rent or borrow.
Overall, it's all worth it, Oberg says.
"The feeling I'm getting from (Kaysville residents) is very positive, that maybe a lot of the pushback was because they didn't know what exactly we do," Oberg said. "Now that they have seen it, it's easier to understand."
Email: mromero@deseretnews.com, Twitter: McKenzieRomero