Hundreds Tour New Law Enforcement Center

Hundreds of residents came out Sunday to see the town's new Law Enforcement Center, the community's second major project in the last two years.  

Reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

"This is a beautiful building," said Barbara Steiner, after a tour of the ultramodern complex led by the town's police force. "I'm impressed."

Steiner, a Clayton resident, also had high praise for the memorial to the three police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty over the years.

"That is the most impressive memorial I've ever seen," she said. "It's haunting. I'll never forget it."  

The town's highly regarded Police Force, one of the few in the country to earn full accreditation, will start moving into their new home next weekend and begin official operations there on Monday, Oct. 24.

"We're very excited to have such an impressive new home, one that's designed to not only meet our needs today, but for decades ahead," Police Chief Glen Allen said. "We appreciate the foresight and careful planning of the town's administrators and elected officials that made a success like this possible."

The 19,000-sq.ft. brick building, featuring lots of glass and high quality metal trim made of zinc, is much larger than the small, outdated Police Department office that stood downtown for many years. The new energy-efficient complex, which makes extensive use of natural light and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, is "a tremendous upgrade," Mayor Jody McLeod said. The new facility consolidates staff that had operated from the former police headquarters, plus two satellite offices, into one building with adequate room for future growth.

The Center's memorial --a larger-than-life officer exiting the Center on the exterior, Second Street side of the building, with the same shape in relief as a void, symbolizing loss, on the interior-- was formally presented a few days ago in a small ceremony. Families of the fallen officers were joined by the Mayor, Town Manager Steve Biggs, Chief Allen and other town officials for the ceremony. The memorial, made of North Carolina slate, includes recognition of the three fallen Clayton Police Officers--Monica W. Carey, William R. Gilmore and Charles H. Lee--directly beside a symbolic image.  

After years of planning, town officials decided to move ahead with the project last year after a report from Biggs that the town's highly regarded police force--which three years ago became one of the few law enforcement agencies in the country to earn full accreditation--was "bursting at the seams" in their old 5,000-sq.ft building. The timing was also right financially, as a slowdown in the economy facilitated very favorable financing terms and bid costs substantially below original project cost estimates.  

Police are presently working out of a temporary headquarters at 9933 US 70W Business.

For photos of the new facility, please go to the town's Facebook page at Town of Clayton, NC

Another major project, the town's new Clayton Community Center, opened less than two years ago. Other major projects underway include two new parks and a massive street upgrade and resurfacing program.