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Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus is adapting to his new tasks as a tour guide these days.
After the department moved from a space adjoining City Hall to a refurbished warehouse earlier this month, Asmus has been helping visitors and staff find their way around the cavernous 18,000-square-foot building.
“It’s quite a change,” Asmus said.
The precinct had been housed in a 1,500-square-foot space on East Country Vista Drive since November 2002, but as the city and department expanded, Liberty Lake officials realized the need to secure an upgraded facility for Asmus and his officers. Last February, Asmus presented the city with a list of venue options with the understanding that room had been cleared in the municipal budget for a move.
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Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus moved his department from a space next to City Hall into an 18,000-square-foot facility earlier this month. The renovated manufacturing site, which also houses the municipal library, was purchased by the city last year..
Photo by: Craig Howard |
Last July, the Liberty Lake City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a 27,000-square-foot industrial building once occupied by Northern Technologies. The city agreed to pay $1.96 million for the structure and an additional $675,000 for renovation costs. The space would serve as the new home of the police department as well as the municipal library.
“It’s just a fantastic community investment,” said Doug Smith, Liberty Lake planning and community development director.
Last April, a $9.8 million bond to fund a city center and library in Liberty Lake fell short at the ballot. There had also been talk of including a public safety building and other municipal offices on the 6.4-acre plot of land owned by the city. Now, Smith said the parcel at 23123 E. Mission Ave. “will be the police department’s permanent home,” although the city is still looking a “future possibilities” with the land near the Liberty Lake Farmers Market.
Asmus said the new space will allow the department to host regional law enforcement training as well as defensive tactics instruction, activities that presented logistical challenges in the old space. Asmus will also host his quarterly community meetings called “Meet the Chief,” dealing with topics like home security and identity theft, at the new site.
“The staff has really been enthusiastic about moving in,” Asmus said. “There’s a sense of pride about this facility.”
Since incorporating in 2001, Liberty Lake has grown to a city of nearly 7,000 residents. A pair of annexations has added some 1,500 acres to the municipal boundaries, increasing the need for wider coverage from law enforcement. In addition to Asmus, the department now includes a detective, a deputy and half-a-dozen officers as well as a records clerk.
The new precinct also features a large parking garage, home to eight patrol cars and four vehicles belonging to the Liberty Lake branch of Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort. The SCOPE wing also occupies an office in the precinct.
Liberty Lake Mayor Wendy Van Orman, who helped launch the local SCOPE branch prior to incorporation, said the new building will mean increased efficiencies for the community policing group.
“Before this, our SCOPE volunteers were in two locations,” Van Orman said. “This is a better deal, all around.
An open house and dedication ceremony for the police precinct will be held Friday, May 15, from 1 to 7 p.m.
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By
Craig Howard
