The City of Manitou Springs Police Department (MSPD) is faced with multiple challenges. The first challenge is the limited space, which decreases efficiency and jeopardizes security. The second challenge is that the exterior southwest corner of the police station is failing and is in need of stabilization.
The MSPD, comprising of a Chief of Police, Commander, 2 Patrol Sergeants, 1 Detective, 12 Patrol Officers, and 2 Civilians, serves 5200 residents in a 3-square mile area. Manitou’s population can triple daily during the tourist season, which runs from late spring to early fall. The offices do not have enough space to accommodate the staff, even when accounting for patrol officers working different shifts. In addition to the cramped, inefficient workspaces, the police station has several security flaws. First, the holding cells are located in the main section of the department, adjacent to the offices. The holding cells do not have sanitation facilities and detainees must be escorted to the single restroom used by sworn staff and civilian staff which poses a security risk. There are two adjacent holding cells, which have been decommissioned due to inadequate construction and are now being used as the evidence locker and the arms locker. The intoxication testing room holds both breath tests and blood tests, though standard practice is to have separate spaces for each. The evidence intake space consists of just one table, which sits in the corner of a room which is primarily occupied by the four patrol desks. The entire station lacks ADA compliance.
Designs have been completed. The project consists of demolition, and construction. Several non-load bearing walls will be removed from the interior of the police station and reconstructed to follow the new layout. The new layout will include 2 larger holding cells with sanitation facilities, as well as more privacy for workstations and offices laid out in a more efficient manner. The remodel would also include a storage room, an arms room, 2 locker rooms and a meeting area that all meet modern standards.
