 During the September meeting of the Freeland Borough Crime Watch, Chief Kevin Shuetrumpf of the Freeland Borough Police Department gave a tour of their brand new Police Station. The Borough purchased and renovated the old Freeland Event Center to be used as the Borough building and Police Station. Furniture for the station was donated, the Police installed the flooring and painted themselves as well as installing the camera system which covers the interior of the station and the Borough building lobby. These existing cameras display on a wall mounted flat screen in the station. A second flat screen streams the 24 cameras in the Public Park in real time. Exterior cameras for the Borough Building are planned and will also be monitored from the Police Station. The new Station features a dedicated entrance, an office for the Chief, an office for the Sergeant, a bullpen with three desks for officers, a locker room, a holding cell, and an evidence room. The evidence room which was not open for the tour was discussed. The evidence room in the previous Borough Building was made out of wood with the new room being constructed entirely from concrete and steel with a three foot footer around the entire room. Additionally, the new evidence room sports two separate steel doors with a hallway in between under video surveillance. Keys to these doors are only available to the Chief and Sergeant. "We could probably park a tank on top of this room" Shuetrumpf said. Shuetrumpf explained that when a PFA is filed and a defendant must hand over their firearms, the Police must hold the firearms for the duration of the PFA. He also explained that if a defendant from across the state or out of the County chose to drive to Freeland to store their firearms, Freeland would have to hold them despite the PFA not being in Freeland. Magistrate O'Donnell who was in attendance for the meeting and tour confirmed that new laws in the State have made this commonplace.  "The computers that you see on these desks right now, that's what you bought." Shuetrumpf said, speaking to the Crime Watch members about a recent fundraiser for the Police. The Chief also stated that the server that was previously out in the open in the old Police station is now stored away in a confidential location.
While speaking about the officers and the effectiveness of the Police station, the Chief spoke about the closure of known drug houses in town. "I say it all the time, the amount of drugs these guys bring in all the time is mind blowing". The new station is accessible from the exterior entrance on the side of the new Borough Building. If Police are not available by calling 5706360111, residents are advised to call 911 for any reason that an officer is needed. |
