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Rolla, Missouri Police Station
Improves Security
Rolla, Missouri
Converting an existing building
to meet police needs gave the Rolla, Missouri Police
Department improved security and a layout designed
specifically for its requirements.
Previously, the department had been headquartered
in a 7,500 sq. ft. building away from the downtown
area. With the move, it has available 26,000 sq.
ft. and is located in the downtown area, where city
council members and many area citizens preferred.
 Exterior
doors at the new Rolla, Missouri Police Department
headquarters are protected by a Von Duprin 7000
Access Control System. Card reader is visible at
right of door, which is equipped with a Von Duprin
Series 9975 mortise lock.
Rolla, the county seat of Phelps
County, has a population of about 14,000, plus an
average of 5,500 students at the University of Missouri
extension campus in town. The city covers an area
of 35 square miles, and its police force consists
of 25 sworn officers, 19 civilians, and five part-time
employees such as crossing guards.
When the opportunity arose to convert an existing
structure into a new headquarters building, it also
permitted an upgrade in security at the new facility.
The previous building had a locking front door but
little else. David H. Pikka, Captain/Administration
notes, "Once someone got past the front door,
they could go anywhere in the building. In the new
building, we sectioned off areas of higher risk,
like the booking area and the sallyport."
The new building was designed in the 1950s as a
fallout shelter, with walls and floors of concrete
approximately 18 in. thick. Later, it housed a variety
of retail stores and businesses before becoming
available to the city.
Currently, only about 16,000 sq. ft. are utilized
for police purposes, with another 10,000 sq. ft.
available for expansion. In addition to normal police
department offices and function areas, the facility
incorporates a booking and temporary holding area,
but it does not contain jail cells. Captain Pikka
says, "We've contracted our jail facility from
the sheriff for the past 12 years, and we decided
it would be more cost effective to continue that
practice with the new building."
To provide better security throughout the building,
a Von Duprin 7000 Access Control System was installed.
It combines fast, easy programming with a high degree
of control flexibility. It can provide many options
of time, day, date and zone control to suit specific
security needs. While seven units are now installed,
the system can accommodate up to 18 card readers,
allowing for easy future expansion.
Master card reader outside
Booking Room can be used to program the Von Duprin
system, adding or deleting cards as needed. Only
officers' cards will allow access to Booking Room
and other secured areas.
Card readers are installed on
external doors, as well as on entrances to the booking
room and the sallyport. Only officers have cards
that allow access to these secured areas. Captain
Pikka explains, "Our civilian employees can
use either of the two entrances, but they can get
into the booking area where prisoners are held.
In the sallyport, when a prisoner is taken out of
the car, he is in a secured environment. If he should
decide to flee, he can only escape into the booking
room, and he can't get back out."
In the booking/holding area, a prisoner is seldom
left alone, and then only if the officer has to
respond to an emergency call. The system keeps the
doors locked except for authorized officers, and
the prisoner is monitored by CCTV.
The card reader system makes it easy to control
access if someone leaves the department or loses
a card. "We take the position that these are
controlled items," says Captain Pikka. "You
don't get your last paycheck until you turn in the
card." Nevertheless, if a card is lost, it
is a simple matter to void it, using the programming
capabilities of the system's master card reader.
While programming could also be done on a PC, the
relatively small number of cards needed lends itself
to using the master reader for this purpose.
At one point, the department thought about restricting
civilian employee access to certain hours, which
the system makes possible. However, it was decided
to allow them unrestricted access to the fitness
facility in the building's basement, along with
the department's officers. Captain Pikka points
out that the civilians' cards will only allow them
access to these specific areas.
As budgets allow, future plans call for a possible
expansion of the card reader system to the 911 operating
center in the building, as well as the possible
addition of an indoor target range in the basement.
With weapons and ammunition stored there, this would
be another logical place for a card reader with
restricted access levels.
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