If you’ve driven by Lethbridge Regional Police Headquarters lately, you probably noticed the big hole behind the building.
The final excavation stage began this month for the expansion of the station. The addition is part of a bigger project to update and renovate the building.
“Our cell blocks are inadequate, our training areas were inadequate, we didn’t have enough office space, parking was an issue, so there’s a number of things this will address,” said Inspector Tom Ascroft.
On Monday city council approved $15.4 million in funding for the expansion of LRPS headquarters. This was the final funding request for the $27.9 million dollar project.
Ascroft said the current station as it is right now is cramped, especially when it comes to cell blocks. As LRPS continue to take in more prisoners, there are not enough cells.
Police headquarters currently have eight cells in total, but with the new addition they will be able to have up to 20.
The expansion project will also benefit LRPS training, as officers have to go offsite for much of their exercises. “We’ve kind of got things scattered all over the place, so it just allows for our operations to be more consolidated,” he said.
“You have to keep up with the innovations that have occurred over the last 20 years, and we’ll expect we’ll grow over the next 25 years.”
The expansion is expected to be completed by 2017.
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