Borough of Chambersburg Receives $1.56 Million in Grants for Renovation of Police Department Facility and State-of-the-Art Training Tools

On December 6, 2021, the Borough of Chambersburg received notice of a $1.5 million award from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). The grant will be used to partially fund the Chambersburg Police Department Renovation project, a comprehensive renovation plan to transform a portion of old City Hall into a facility exclusively for use by the Chambersburg Police Department (CPD).

The Project is part of a two-phase facility renovation. The existing City Hall, located in historic downtown Chambersburg, supports Borough administrative and police functions. Due to overcrowding and an insufficient layout, many police functions – including holding cells – are currently located in a poorly ventilated basement. The first phase of the Project, which is complete, relocated all administrative functions to a newly constructed building adjacent to City Hall. The RACP funds will be allocated toward Phase II, focusing on repurposing the existing City Hall building to accommodate the CPD.

The renovation of the existing City Hall building into a modern, secure police department will transform the CPD. This will directly facilitate improved services and protection of the residents, businesses, and taxpayers. The building, located at 116 S. 2nd Street, will feature enhanced accessibility, security, and functionality upgrades. Additional upgrades include offices and holding cells, conference rooms, locker rooms, interview rooms, a K-9 facility, a fitness room, and ample storage. The renovation will accommodate existing and potential future police officer positions. Currently, 35 officers and 3 administrative employees serve one of the fastest growing areas of the Commonwealth.

“This funding is vital to ensuring the completion of this important project, while minimizing the local tax burden,” remarked Representative Kauffman. “The men and women of the CPD work tirelessly to serve the public and keep us safe, and this facility will allow their work to be carried out in a more efficient and safe manner. I have been advocating for this funding for a long time and am looking forward to seeing the completed project.”

Chief Ron Camacho commented on the importance of the RACP grant for community safety, “The Borough’s growing population puts an increased burden on the police force. This renovation project will allow the CPD to have the space and equipment needed to provide the necessary community services and keep the public safe.”

Supplementing the $1.5 million RACP award, the CPD received notification on Wednesday, December 8 it was awarded a $60,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency through the Innovative Policing Initiatives Program. This grant will be used to partially fund the purchase of an innovative police officer training tool. The virtual reality (VR) training simulator is an interactive crisis intervention, de-escalation, and force option training tool and is a comprehensive solution to allow instructors the ability to provide interactive training to its officers. It is an immersive, hands-on, scenario-based system designed to improve knowledge, skills, abilities, and confidence in a safe, yet challenging environment. Chief Ron Camacho highlighted, “Training is a continual requirement for our officers and this innovative tool will maximize the training received and minimize the financial impact on our department. I am pleased that this funding was approved, as this training initiative would not happen without it.”