Chelsea Police Department Holds Open House for New Station

Years of planning, 11 months of building and numerous financial supporters later, the Chelsea Police Station is finally open.

The Chelsea department celebrated the opening of its new station Tuesday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and tour of the facility, located at 311 S. Main St.

"This is a surreal day for me," city manager John Hanifan said. "Opening this station has been a main priority for me since I started in Chelsea five years ago. It's a practical and functional building for our police force, and it is something that the residents of Chelsea can be proud of for years to come."

Roughly 60 law enforcement officers, elected officials, and members of the public were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

"It’s an honor to be here today, in the company of men and women who have dedicated their lives to keeping our citizens, neighborhoods, streets and downtown friendly, safe and secure,” said Mayor Jason Lindauer.

"In a world that presents many new challenges ... protecting others requires compassion and professionalism. These qualities embody our law enforcement officers and the department they lead. On behalf of Chelsea's 5,000 citizens, I want to say job well done," Lindauer continued.

The new facility is home to a 36-member police force, and includes offices, a squad room, showers and recreation area, holding cells, weapons locker room and evidence processing area.

Chief Ed Toth said officers moved into the building, which is equipped with all new state-of-the-art technology, last month. He said the department's old station on East Middle Street dated back to the 1940s and was prone to overcrowding and other poor conditions.

Rick Cornell, who has been with the department for the past 11 years, said the new building is a welcomed change.

"I've worked in some pretty rough stations in my career," he said. "Our old station had cockroaches in the basement and was just in general an embarrassment to say the least. We didn't want to bring anyone around it. The new station was a long time coming."

Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton agreed, stating, "I think this is a great facility that represents the city very well. We're very proud of Chief Toth and proud of what's happened here today."

State Rep. Mark Ouimet, R-Scio Township, also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and toured the facility.

"It's an extremely impressive facility and I think it certainly is in keeping with the economic concerns we have presently in the state. There's nothing overtly outlandish," he said.

The $2.5 million station was paid for through city funds and a $500,000 donation from the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority.

"The entire community was very supportive of this new station," Toth said. "We're all in this together. People are welcome to come by and visit anytime."