In pictures: Not Barney Miller's police station
In Saskatoon, the new $101-million downtown municipal police headquarters scheduled to open in late 2013 is more than just an architectural turning point for the Saskatoon Police Service.
The design features a large, atrium-style lobby and extensively uses glass around the building to maximize natural light. The building will include community meeting rooms, service-focused areas for public records checks, a police heritage display and a publicly accessible gymnasium.
It’s a far cry from the days when police stations were constructed largely of concrete or brick, fronted by a single entry door and boasted little or no connection to the outside world. Beyond community-friendly features, Saskatoon’s new 360,000-square-foot police headquarters will be loaded with high-tech gadgetry worthy of a CSI episode.