By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

With the purchase of a new headquarters, the Allenstown Police Department is moving on up, in every sense of the phrase.

According to Capt. Shaun Mulholland, the new building is an absolute necessity.

"The biggest difference between our new location and the old station is that the old station just wasn't up to state and federal codes," he said. "The insurance company kept threatening to raise the rates."

The 6,700-square-foot station is located on 40 Allenstown Road, and will be used in lieu of the older 800-square-foot building on 16 School St. in the basement of the town hall.

"The inspectors said that the old building had 14 items that were hazardous," said Mulholland.

On the list were a building with only one entrance and exit, cluttered hallways, inadequate facilities to separate suspects from town employees, and a single toilet for all to use - prisoners and officers alike.

"It was pretty dangerous over there," said Mulholland. "You might be interviewing a victim of a sexual assault, and just around the corner you would have the perpetrator chained to a bench, listening to everything you say."

Mulholland said the new facility increases efficiency of the force while reducing liabilities.

"We were really limited by the old station," he said. "The biggest advantage now is safety. since we meet all state and federal codes, we can apply for state and national accreditation."

Mulholland added that the transition between the two buildings has been very smooth, and that the station is already showing increased efficiency.

"We're under budget, and we're way ahead of schedule," he said. "When the bond passed, it allowed $725,000 for the purchase of a new station. We bought this place for about $465,000, and the rest is going towards improvements. We have about $11,000 left over."

The new station was supposed to open in August, but is gearing up for the official grand opening on Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The police can hold six prisoners in the two cells, and 30 more in the sally port, should overcrowding occur.

The sally port is a secured, two-vehicle garage attached directly to the station. It is the first introduction to the facility that a suspect receives.

The processing room can be manned by one officer, and boasts a breathalyzer machine and computers protected by a sheet of glass.

"One time, a suspect actually picked up a computer and threw it during processing," said Mulholland. "We don't have to worry about that now. Officers can use the computers throughout the station to monitor the security cameras."

The cells contain remote-controlled toilets that can only be flushed by an officer. This prevents suspects from disposing of paraphernalia.

The facility is filled not only with new technology, but with evidence of a supportive community.

"In the conference room, we have a table that students at Pembroke Academy built," said Mulholland. "It would have cost $1,400, but we ended up paying only $485 for the materials."

The captain also said that one of the biggest contributions was time, by both off-duty officers who helped with construction and citizens who donated fitness equipment for the exercise room.

"So many people contributed, and I haven't tabulated a list of all the help we received yet," he said. "Blazon Construction donated, Hamel Trucking donated granite for the handicap ramp, Advance Paving paved our parking lot and didn't charge us for labor."

Mulholland said that the new station increases accessibility by the public, and will allow the police to aid the public more efficiently.

"People drive by here all the time," he said. "They honk and wave. We've got a great community here."