Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – With a squad room that’s four times the size of the current one, a secure entrance for bringing in suspects, larger evidence room, dedicated conference space, more storage and larger dispatch area, it’s hard to say what the biggest improvement is at the new Bedford Police Department headquarters. But it might just be the hot water, something the department hasn’t had at the current station in about seven years.
BPD will move into the new headquarters on 16th Street west of downtown this month.
A new police station was a goal of Bedford Mayor Sam Craig from the time he took office. The city purchased the former Aldi in 2021 for $825,000 and initiated plans to move BPD out of its cramped quarters beside city hall.
The new BPD, which represents about a $3 million investment, is one of several projects in the Radius Indiana region where cities and towns are taking on big projects.
In Washington, the city is building a $3.1 million downtown space with a stage and two pavilions called The Commons, the city of Jasper just completed a massive infrastructure project and downtown streetscape, the Daviess County Airport is extending its runway to accommodate bigger jets and the Dubois County Airport Authority is planning to build a new terminal in 2024. Several Radius counties, including Crawford and Lawrence counties, are expanding broadband.
Such ambitious projects carry big price tags, but those investments can pay dividends beyond the project’s purpose.
“When you look at economic development, community investment and pride in your community play an important role,” said Shance Sizemore, executive director of the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council. “Having quality buildings, such as the new police station, is something residents can take pride in and others looking to invest in the community see that the community invests in itself.”
Sizemore said investing in public safety also sends a positive message to people looking to move to a city and investors.
“The safety of a community is important to companies looking at potential locations,” he said. “We know that having a low crime rate factors in that process.”
Modern, spacious BPD
In September, the city of Bedford offered tours during an open house with BPD Chief Terry Moore and Craig leading visitors. At 13,000 square feet, the new police station is more than double the size of the current one. The one-level building improves access and there’s ample room for future expansion.
At every turn, the new BPD is spacious and modern, from the lobby to interview rooms, staff offices and fenced parking lot.
“This has been needed for a long time,” said Moore.
To appreciate the new station, Moore took the Southern Indiana Business Report through the current BPD.
BPD moved into the century-old building next to city hall in 1966. Originally built as the Bedford Fire Department, Moore said the new digs would have been an upgrade for BPD that at the time was housed in a 10-by-12 space in city hall that is now the clerk-treasurer’s office.
Some 50 years later, the building no longer works. A leaky basement forced the squad room to locate upstairs in a small room that becomes cramped quickly during shift change when eight or more officers are on station. The staff restroom has cracks in the plaster and water damage. Without a secure parking area, there was always the chance a suspect brought to the station could flee from officers.
Advances in telecommunications meant carving up offices and storage closets to house large servers and HVAC systems. Lacking storage space, office supplies are stacked on the floor wherever there is space. One BPD employee works in an office in city hall because they were out of space.
Recruiting officers to fill vacancies is difficult enough these days and Moore said showing potential recruits around an out-dated department can be a tough sell, especially when other cities in the area have newer facilities.
Moore said the most recent vacancy he filled was open for a year before he found a suitable candidate. He’s hopeful that a new department will attract more applicants in the future.
By contrast, when Moore first applied to BPD in 1998, he was one of 40 applicants. That’s unheard of these days. When Moore joined the department in 2004, there were many officers with 30 years or more.
“People weren’t retiring after 20 years then,” Moore said. “Now, I’m begging people to stay.”
Today, only two officers have been on the department for 30 or more years. The officers who want to stay in law enforcement are leaving for better pay and benefits.
“Most of our officers have two to 10 years of experience,” he said.
‘Major investment’
Mayor Craig, himself a retired Bedford police officer, said the new station represents “a major investment” and will serve the department for decades to come.
From an economic development perspective, Sizemore said the project is a sign of a strong community.
“For the city to have the capacity to do something positive for the community and its police officers signifies we have the capacity to invest in ourselves,” he said. “You don’t get new police stations if you don’t have tax revenue. Our success in the last few years has allowed us to make some of those investments.”