Building a new police station, law enforcement or training facility to last for 50 to 75 years represents a huge investment of time and money for any community. Well-designed projects are sources of community pride and reflect well not only on the law enforcement departments in which they serve, but on those who design and build them.
This year Officer Media Group is introducing the Law Enforcement Design Awards to showcase new architectural designs of law enforcement stations and training facilities that represent the very best in security and technology today.
Nominations for the Law Enforcement Design Awards is open for law enforcement facilities built after January 2016.
The Awards will recognize work in the following categories:
- LE Facilities I—More than 50,000-sq.-ft. facilities staffing law enforcement personnel. Includes standalone police stations, sheriff departments or state police facilities, etc.
- LE Facilities II—Less than 50,000-sq. ft. facilities staffing law enforcement personnel. Includes standalone police stations, sheriff departments or state police facilities, etc.
- LE Facilities III – Less than 25,000-sq. ft. facilities staffing law enforcement personnel. Includes police stations, sheriff departments or state police facilities, etc.
- Public Safety Centers—911 dispatch centers, emergency operations centers, etc. as standalone LE facilities or combined with other agencies or organizations such as fire, police, sheriff, state police or local government offices
- Training Facilities—Facilities containing classrooms, fire ranges, sim villages, tracks, etc.
Each entry will be edited for anonymity and submitted to a panel of judges made up of law enforcement officers and architects specialized in law enforcement architecture. No judge will have an entry in the award program.
Enter online through Officer.com/2020leda. The deadline for entries is September 16.
For more details or questions, contact Officer Media Group Special Projects Director Janet Wilmoth at [email protected].
“We have seen an increase in law enforcement attendees at the Station Design Conference seeking trends and innovations in law enforcement buildings,” says Wilmoth. “The Law Enforcement Design Awards is a great opportunity for publicity for innovative, progressive law enforcement agencies and for the specialized public safety architects.”
Law enforcement agencies and architects who are proud of their new police station or facility, completed after January 1, 2016, are encouraged to complete an Entry Form for their project’s consideration by September 16. Portfolios due by September 23. The entrance fee includes a full-page feature in the December LET issue, as well as digital feature on Officer.com. Upon receipt of the Entry Form, a Project Data Sheet will be sent with the Portfolio requirements.
Awards include Gold, Silver and Bronze for each category. The Gold Award will have a two-page spread in the December LET issue. All completed entries will be showcased in a full page of the December issue of LET magazine, as well as Officer.com.
Wilmoth encourages law enforcement agencies to contact their architect or construction firm to submit their projects, not only to be recognized for outstanding design, but to honor the communities they serve and spotlight their architectural achievements. “It’s important to recognize how law enforcement personnel and architects work together to respond to the changing needs of their communities and service areas,” says Wilmoth. “Each facility is uniquely designed to serve the needs of its community.
For architects, the award program is a way for outstanding efforts and projects recognized by their peers and potential customers in the fire service.
The December issue of LET will also become a resource for law enforcement agencies and municipal leaders who are planning to build a new facility. The collection of facilities entered in the Law Enforcement Design Awards not only offers ideas and trends but spotlight the work of architects’ who specialize in law enforcement architecture.
Architects who win design awards are recognized by experts in the field and are sought by clients’ coast to coast. While local architects are tapped to design stations for their local departments, locals often lack the expertise to execute a law enforcement design effectively. Local architects will frequently partner with award-winning architects to deliver innovative, effective designs for their clients.
Recently, law enforcement departments have come to realize the importance of designing stations for the physical and mental wellbeing of staff.
“Suicide rates among police officers are increasing rapidly and recent innovations in law enforcement stations are designed to target behavioral health,” Wilmoth says. Adding that there is an increased awareness of public access to police stations and the need to safely protect staff and citizens. Each of those issues, and more, must be considered when designing new police stations.
“The objective is always to create an affordable and safe law enforcement facility to last 50 to 75 years,” Wilmoth says. “That’s the ultimate goal.”
