CAMPBELL Police station receives first face-lift since 1972

Officials plan about $12,000 in renovations to the department this year.
By PAUL WHEATLEY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- The police department was built, along with the rest of the city building, in March 1972.
But besides a coat of paint here or there, the station has remained relatively the same since then.
While looking at old photos, Police Chief Gus Sarigianopoulos even discovered that ashtrays from three decades ago are still in use.
For the past few weeks, officers and city officials have been pitching in to spruce up the station as part of a $12,000 renovation made possible by squirreling away money for three years.
Already the chief's office has been transformed from a plain white cellar into a blue room befitting a chief.
Sarigianopoulos admits he's already more comfortable bringing people into his office and believes further renovations will boost the morale of his officers.
Remodeling: The next project calls for remodeling the dispatch area, which will be isolated from the rest of the station to protect dispatchers and equipment from prisoners and the public.
Finance Director Dennis Stephens said much of the work has been done by officers contributing their time. Some projects, like framing in the new dispatch area, required contractors.
But there's still much to be done.
"I think a few of us are going to show up one weekend and paint ... it," he said.
Stephens said he'd like to put about $4,000 more into renovations next year, including upgrading plumbing in the jail cells.
He was able to put about that much into a renovation account for the station each year for the past three years.
wheatley@vindy.com