NAMPA -- The shiny-new building going up in downtown Nampa is almost ready to move into. The new Nampa Public Safety building will include space for Nampa Police, the Nampa Fire Department administration, city dispatch and informational technology.
Starting this coming weekend, they are moving in. Nampa Police Chief Leroy Forsman said the transition should be smooth sailing. Due to the move the records department will be closed on Friday.
In the current facility, the Nampa Police Department was busting at the seams, the new $16 million dollar building has all the space they need.
“It’s really a night and day difference,” said Lt. Brad Daniels.
Tuesday, Chief Forsman and Lt. Daniels gave KTVB an inside tour of the facility.
“Our folks are really excited about it and once you see the building I think you will see why,” said Chief Forsman.
Big windows with natural light and more space welcome you into the building. It's a massive change from the current and outdated police department which was built in 1977.
“People say why does it have to be so big and we have answers for that, we are talking about a building that we are in currently that is for half the size of the department that we have now,” said Forsman.
The city’s 911 dispatch starts to move in on Friday. The dispatch space holds eight stations, instead of the four they currently have in the existing police department.
Nampa residents calling into 911 during the transition should not notice anything different, said Forsman.
“The way the system is set up right now, if we were to have some major problem in the city those calls would roll over to Canyon County anyway and that is basically the way it’s going to be. It’s very streamlined and very efficient and we don’t see it being a problem for the public at all,” said Forsman.
Currently the IT department is cramped in the basement of the Nampa Police Department.
IT employee Ryan Taylor shares the tight space with two other co workers. IT also will be moving to four times the space.
“We will be able to more efficiently work and it won't be as much of a hazard,” said Taylor.
A new police patrol room, fire administration, three fitness areas and more room for 38,000 pieces of evidence is the reason this building was made.
“It's a 30 year plan with the future in mind,” said Forsman.
The Public Safety building has three floors including a basement; in the basement is the new crime lab. It is 8 times the size of the existing one. Christine Cannon is Nampa's Chief Criminalist; she works in 3 closets linked together with doorways.
“There is not a whole lot of room in here to spread stuff out and really examine it very well,” said Christine. She was on hand Tuesday to show her current space also in the basement of the current Nampa Police Department.
Forsman said in next month or so, Nampa's public safety personnel should be fully moved in.
“Frankly, it's kind of surreal that we are in a week of actually occupying the building,” said Forsman
As for the existing Nampa Police Department, everything inside will be saved or given to fellow agencies. Then it’s going to be leveled and the idea is to build something new in its place.
