Southern Armstrong police settling into Freeport headquarters

The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department now has a proper headquarters.

After two years of performing key functions in a cramped Gilpin basement, the force moved this week to a roomy station at 235 Fifth St. in Freeport.

“Finally, we found somewhere that worked, made sense, was big enough for the operation and was going to solve any of the issues we had,” said Chief Chris Fabec.

The department previously handled administrative matters on the bottom floor of the Gilpin Township Municipal Building. Patrol officers mostly worked out of Freeport and Ford City’s government centers, but would have to run to the Gilpin station to, for example, pull case files.

“It’s a lot better to be together as a singular department,” said Cpl. Chad Bowman.

The Gilpin and Ford City posts have become substations. If no officers are available, the department has placed phones outside each substation that connect directly to a 911 dispatcher. The administrative lieutenant should be around most business hours in Freeport.

Coverage levels will not be impacted for any of the three communities, officials said.

Southern Armstrong has 13 officers, including the chief.

The headquarters is attached to and leased from real estate firm NextHome Dynamic for about $1,000 a month.

Fabec started talks with business owner Heidi Powell in May, and got the go-ahead to begin renovations from the force’s commission late last year.

Ford City Council President Carol Fenyes, one of the borough’s two Southern Armstrong Regional Commission representatives, said the building is “more than adequate” for the force’s current needs and leaves room for future expansion.

It’s not unthinkable that several Armstrong County communities seeking around-the-clock coverage could set their sights on joining Southern Armstrong after a separate regionalization effort came undone in recent months.

Gilpin Supervisor and Commission Chairman Charles Stull gave a glowing appraisal of the move, too.

“This step will greatly enhance administrative efficiency, allowing us to operate more effectively while continuing to provide the same excellent services to all participating municipalities,” Stull said.

Rick Fennell, Freeport’s council president and lone representative on the commission following Zack Gent’s resignation as mayor, did not return a request for comment.

Officers have quickly settled into their own home, complete with freshly painted blue walls to match the department’s color scheme, Southern Armstrong window decals and other branded touches.

The department will soon add an outdoor sign and a half wall dividing work areas from the lobby, which is open to the public.

“We’ve had residents and business owners in Freeport walk in already just to see us and how things are going,” Fabec said.

Each visitor has been greeted by a holdover from when NextHome used the space — a colorfully painted close-up of a pig.

“It’s all in good fun,” Powell said. “They’re great guys, and they’re going to be great neighbors and great tenants.”