Lincoln Police Department’s Northeast Team settles into new home

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lincoln Police Department’s Northeast Team has a new home.

The team moved into the new location on Friday, and officials said the building offers upgraded facilities that will increase department communication.

“We have TV, monitors and everything for us to record and do interviews,” Officer Jeff Bucher said.

City officials say the building 52nd and O Streets was bought for $2.5 million, using LPD budget funds and seized asset funds.

Another $4.5 million in CARES Act funds were used to renovate the building.

LPD said their new home will help officers better serve the community with upgraded facilities.

Officers will also be able to stay safe in emergencies with a newly added storm shelter at the building.

“With ample off-street parking, updated amenities, a storm-hardened shelter inside that will protect our staff and insure continued operations regardless of the weather and state-of-the-art technology for both our officers and our communications staff,” Assistant Chief Brian Jackson said.

Bucher said staff communication previously struggled, but the building’s lineup room will solve that problem.

“This is kind of the heartbeat of the building right here, the report room and break room, this is where 90% of the work is going to get done, right in this area,” Bucher said. “I had my doubts but we’re all coming together and we feed off each other.”

The old station located at 49th and Huntington Streets needed multiple repairs.

“The building we were in was a leased building, the initial vision was to maybe trade those lease payments for other opportunities for the city in our department,” Jackson said. “That building was starting to age, it was going to need significant repairs and upkeep.”