Lake Forest officials are considering moving the police department out of its longtime headquarters at 255 W. Deerpath Road.
“As we look to the future, the current building is not adequate to meet the space needs of both departments,” Tack said at the March 4 City Council meeting.“Many of the critical building deficiencies have a direct correlation with the amount of space required for modern police operations,” he wrote in an e-mail.
“The social worker doesn’t have a private office to provide counseling services,” Walldorf said. “Detectives and patrol officers don’t have dedicated office spaces for private conversations with victims, witnesses and fellow officers.” For comparison, Wilmette is also considering a finding new police facility. A recent report showed projected costs for a new facility in that community at between $53 million to $55 million, not including any land acquisition.
Tack did not specify where a new police station would go, but noted the city staff has started an evaluation of both public and private properties, in addition to the space assessment.