Police Department Space Needs Assessment

Frederick, MD

In recent years, the Frederick, Maryland Police Department has grown in conjunction with the increase in the City’s population. While this law enforcement growth allows better service to the community, it also creates facilities-related challenges as new officers are housed in remote, leased commercial spaces. In addition to the negative impacts on police training, communication, and coordination, the existing facilities lacked adequately robust infrastructure to support both the electronic and physical security needs of a modern, urban police department. As a result, police department leadership partnered with Clark Nexsen’s Public Safety team to develop a program defining necessary square footage, site, and cost in order to present Frederick’s mayor and city council with a clear plan for a new Police Headquarters.

Our team worked closely with the Frederick Police Department to understand both current and projected facility needs. This effort included touring their facilities to note operational and physical shortcomings as well as conducting interviews with executive staff and key supervisors to better understand their needs and goals for the future. Additionally, we documented current staffing and drafted staffing growth models based on anticipated population growth over the next 20 years. These staffing models were then combined with floor area modules developed based on the specific needs of the Frederick Police Department. From these models, massing diagrams were developed for both a single-story and a two-story building solution.

Our land planners and civil engineers utilized these potential building footprints to create conceptual site plans affording adequate space for building, public and private (secure) parking, moderate force protection standoff and protective features for facility operations, and stormwater management features required by the State of Maryland. Lastly, this information was synthesized to establish a conceptual construction budget and a formal Space Needs Assessment, empowering the Frederick Police Department to approach the City with a well-defined request for a new police facility.

CLIENT Frederick, MD Police Department  /  SIZE  59,140 SF  /  COMPLETION  2016  /  COST  $17,200,000