March 29, 2024

Lex Park Sheriff’s Office to Open in May

Lex Park Sheriff's Office

It’s been a long time coming since 2012 when St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation secured the  former Lexington Park Rescue Squad building at 21633 Great Mills Road for a full-time sheriff’s station in the most populous area of the county. St. Mary’s County purchased the building and launched construction of the St. Mary’s County District 4 Sheriff’s Office.

The office is expected to begin operations in May from its new building.

The police station is a renovation to an existing 5,300-square-foot former emergency management services station in Lexington Park, MD. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office in concert with the county’s Department of Public Works approached MWS, a training organization for law enforcement, fire, and military personnel, with the task to redefine how a traditional police station looks and interacts with the community, according to the project brief posted by the project’s architect, Manns Woodward Studios.

The project team wanted to project the maximum amount of transparency into the station to promote a more welcoming and less intimidating presence, without compromising personnel safety and operational functionality.

This was ultimately achieved by a large spanning clerestory element and punched openings that pour natural daylight into administrative and lobby spaces below, along with defining a definite public front of house that is both welcoming and intuitive to approach. The back of house provides a secure space for both suspect processing and detainment, along with evidence processing and storage.

The Community Oriented Police unit assigned to Lexington Park also has its own office in the new building.

The station boasts an energy efficient mechanical system, LED lighting package, natural gas run generator, all elements designed to provide a stabilized climate control, while reducing energy consumption and monthly operating cost.

The renovation was completed in April and finishing technical details will be ironed out through the month. Furniture is expected to arrive soon. Once the building is completed and current pandemic social distancing regulations are relaxed, an open house is anticipated.

 

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