Davenport Police Department celebrates opening with ribbon-cutting
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By Kurt Allemeier | Saturday, September 01, 2007 |
Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel leads a tour of area residents through the new Davenport police station Friday.(Kevin E. Schmidt/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo
The future of policing in Davenport celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting Friday.
The Davenport Police Department’s $20.3 million, 90,000-square-foot building opens when the moving process begins Tuesday.
City officials and the department’s officers and staff celebrated with a touch of fanfare Friday, with a ribbon-cutting and the transfer of the department’s flag to the flagpole outside the building at the corner of 4th and Harrison streets.
“You build for the future, but you build for today and for the men and women of the Davenport Police Department now and for decades to come,” Chief Mike Bladel said. “What you see outside is the bricks and mortar for the work of financing.
“What goes on inside is the people who come in and put their lives on the line every day, coming in early and staying late.”
Mayor Ed Winborn praised the “green” building that features geo-thermal heating and cooling, energy efficient windows, a roof with soil-less plants and rain gardens to lower runoff, among others.
“It is a big deal for us to have this,” he said.
He praised the city council for approving construction of a building that is environmentally friendly.
The department will move out of the old, cramped and maze-like building over several days next week. The building will be torn down for a secure parking structure.
Davenport Police and the Scott County Sheriff’s Department are planning to collaborate on several services, including dispatching, evidence storage and a crime lab.
Assistant city administrator Dee Bruemmer spoke of the building’s design and the efforts of contractors.
“You took our design and made it the most beautiful building possible,” she said. “You will see that when you go inside.”
Officers giving tours after the ceremony were brimming with pride for the new building and also glad to point out the new building’s abundance of windows. The old building was windowless.
“It is much more accessible than it ever has been before,” Capt. David Struckman said.
The department held an open house Thursday night for current officers, staff, retirees and their families. “It was a bunch of smiling faces,” Struckman said.
A public open house with guided tours is scheduled for today.
Bladel called the building a statement to the community and from the community.
“I think it is a great work environment,” he said. “It is an extraordinary message from our community to our staff, that we support you.”
Post-it notes were still stuck to some door frames in preparation for the move that will start Tuesday. Emergency communications and radio communications to patrol cars won’t be affected by the move, but phone service to personnel will be affected at times during the move, Lt. Mike Venema warned.
“For non-emergency things we are asking for people to be patient,” he said. “If it is something that can wait a few days, please do.”
The new building’s front desk will be the first thing to move, though the front desk of the old building will also be open during the move.
Kurt Allemeier can be contacted at (563) 383-2360 or kallemeier@qctimes.com.
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