Northampton Gets $1 Million For New Police HQ

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Northampton Township has received a $1 million state grant to fund its new police headquarters.

The grant, from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, will go toward facilities on property the township has purchased at 111 Township Rd. It also obtained property to the east from the Council Rock School District.

The new headquarters will include a booking and processing center, an expanded evidence storage facility and evidence processing area, interview rooms for custodial and non-custodial interviews for adults and juveniles, and a firearms training facility for mandatory training qualifications.

There also will be a physical training area to be used for nonlethal force technique training, a community training room for the instruction of officers and citizens and a Civilian Police Academy and the civilian outreach program.

"This is a major step in helping the township defray the cost of the $8.9 million project, which will relieve pressure on local taxpayers," said state Rep. Wendi Thomas who, along with state Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, requested the grant for Northampton. "When completed, this headquarters will better serve our community and the officers who put so much on the line for our safety."

Tomlinson said the funding will not only help township officers, but provide new opportunities where civilians can learn to help the police force.

"I deeply appreciate that the RACP board understood all this and agreed to help make this a reality," he said.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.