CORE Shows Support for the Hollister Police Department
At CORE, showing pride in our local communities is more than just a great idea. Reclaiming citizenship is an important part of recovery. We embrace and celebrate that we are a necessary part of a larger whole. When we are able to make a real difference in changing lives for the better, it’s time to take an active role. This includes seeing to it that our public servants – the people who take care of us – are loved, supported, and valued.
The importance of our local police departments cannot be overstated. Our men and women in blue put their lives on the line to ensure our safety. They run toward the bad guys so that we don’t have to. Friendly words and a box of donuts hardly begins to express our genuine appreciation for everything they do. So, when the chance comes along to properly thank our local law enforcement, we act. On May 5th, our clients and staff saw the golden opportunity. It was moving day at the Hollister Police Department!
The new police department building is on Hollister Pointe Drive across from Arrowhead Building. It’s the difference between Mayberry and NCIS. The design features have modern law enforcement and training operations in mind. Hollister Police Chief Preston Schmidt particularly appreciates that the facility has proper security features. He told us that all phases of department operations can be more safely and efficiently run out of this new location. Officer Garrett Colson summed up these feelings succinctly, telling us, “It’s awesome, amazing.”
Hollister’s former building had been re-purposed in 2002. It housed a trading post and computer supply store. It had thin walls, poor insulation, and almost no ballistic protection. Space management also was difficult because of the shape of the building. Modernization was a key factor in the decision to build a new facility. Chief Schmidt said that he is committed to providing the highest level of professionalism and service to the citizens of Hollister. The police department also needed more room to keep up with growth. It already has a dedicated staff of 19 full time employees, and as many as 10 reserves serving various roles. If the department is to be prepared for the future, now was the time for a new base of operations.
While moving any office comes with its own set of challenges, when the police department is involved, planning is paramount. The department had pre-marked every item being moved with a room number so that a supervisor could oversee the offload and make sure all items found their proper rooms. Chief Schmidt told us that everything was in place to ensure that complete continuity of operations was maintained at all times. The new building already had staff and a dispatcher in place as the move commenced. All critical functions were already running when, at exactly 10:00 a.m., the telephone company flipped a switch and the phone lines immediately transferred.
CORE staff and clients did their part by helping the move to the police department’s new location. CORE’s logistical expert Gary Osborn coordinated our efforts. Osborn regularly oversees our Re-Store’s massive projects involving truckloads of merchandise. As we surveyed the amount of furniture involved in the police department’s move, we thought it rather large too, but Osborn wasn’t intimidated at all. He shrugged it off, saying “no worries.” Osborn also said that CORE was more than happy to help with this, adding “the relationships are well worth it.” Our people also helped with junk removal, and then cleaned, dusted, swept, and mopped up the entire building. For everything these public servants mean to our community, lending our helping hands was the least we could do to show our support.
The Hollister Police Department is committed to providing our community the highest level of professionalism and service. The new building is something the entire community can be proud of for a very long time. We at CORE want to thank our law enforcement officers for everything they do!