KITTY HAWK, N.C. — Emergency operations in Dare County are getting a boost as the Kitty Hawk Police Department settles into its new location.
“This is the first time that I've actually had an office of my own, which is many people here. So that is a big deal," said Jeffrey S. Gard, a sergeant with the Kitty Hawk Police Department.
Gard has worked at the Kitty Hawk Police Department for 27 years. He spoke about what it was like at KHPD's previous location.
“Go out and work calls and stuff, and then you come in, it is cramped quarters and stuff. So we're very limited, but within that structure, we had to work with what we had available," said Gard.
Years of planning have become a reality. The department has moved into 5200 N. Croatan Highway, a former regional medical center building, adding 900 square feet to it as well. The department's new location is at least twice the size of the previous one.
"I believe that this shows our commitment to them and our town's commitment to them. This is the first time that they have a true facility that is designed to be a police station or law enforcement agency. We have proper gun storage, proper evidence storage, we have security measures in place and accesses and camera systems. And we also have a lot more space," said Melody Cloption, Kitty Hawk Town Manager.
It’s also a breath of fresh air for the agency mentally and physically.
“They take a ton of pride in what they do, and now they have pride in the building... We have a place where you can come in and work. We have a place where officers are going to be able to work out. It's not just about being safe out on the road, it's about being safe mentally and physically and your overall wellness. So that is, to me, very important," said Mike Palkovics, chief of the Kitty Hawk Police Department.
Another positive is that Palkovics and fellow officers feel it will help with recruitment.
“Law enforcement is challenging right now, and it's very difficult to get good quality people coming into police departments everywhere. One of the things that can separate agencies apart from others is the facilities that you have to offer. I think here, we absolutely have one of, if not the best, departments on the beach at this point," said Palkovics.
Another positive for Kitty Hawk and the Outer Banks in general is Dare County EMS Station Nine will be up and running later this month—a vital location for emergency operations.
“Looking at a historical call volume, about 46 to 47% of our calls occur from the Kill Devil Hills region all the way to Southern Shores north to the county line. So this particular regional area has the largest percentage of call volume for us. So being able to put an extra resource here will help improve response times," said Jennie Collins, chief of Dare County EMS.
This comes after Dare County EMS started operating out of the brand new Station Eight in Manns Harbor in May. A ribbon cutting will be held for that station on July 14, and the ribbon cutting in Kitty Hawk will be on August 4.
