Nov 1, 2016 3 min read

When David Heckman arrived at the state police Troop B station on Murtland Avenue in Washington for his first assignment after graduating from the academy Jan. 11, 1988, he admits he did not take notice of the building’s condition.

Fast-forward more than 28 years, and Heckman stood Tuesday as captain of Troop B, dedicating a state-of-the-art building on Route 519 in North Bethlehem Township that will serve not only as headquarters for the troop but also for the state police Area I commander.

“On my first day at the old headquarters, I was not paying attention to the building, but focused more on my new captain,” Heckman said.

While Heckman said the building that was headquarters for the troop for 75 years served the state police well, the troop not only outgrew it, but there were issues with its condition.

“You could go from the ice age to global warming in a matter of hours in that building,” Heckman said.

Maj. William A. Teper Jr., Area I commander who has his office at Troop B, said the new building was badly needed and long overdue.

“It will be a benefit to the residents of Washington County,” he added.

Col. Tyree C. Blocker, state police commissioner, said the new building gives troopers the opportunity to continue to deliver quality professional services. He said troopers will be better able to use technology, helping them more effectively and efficiently handle incidents.

“It was not an easy venture,” Blocker said of the construction of the building. “There were a lot of ups and downs and delays, but we persevered.”

The new 25,000-square-foot, two-story building, which members moved into in mid-August, provides amenities that were lacking in the old building. For instance, police communication operators now sit behind security glass just off the lobby.

Troopers have their own work stations in the patrol room. There is a processing room for collecting fingerprints and administering blood-alcohol tests adjacent to the patrol room, with a gun safe so troopers can safely store their service weapons while processing prisoners. There is a separate storage area for troopers’ gear. The locker rooms for the troopers are larger, and there also is a fitness room.

There is a garage bay inside the building, allowing troopers to pull in their patrol vehicles to check before the start of a shift during inclement weather. It also provides a safer way to bring prisoners into the building.

In addition to government officials, retired troopers who served at the old barracks were invited to the dedication, including several former captains of the troop.

“We see the true definition of legacy here,” Blocker said. “Over the 111 years the state police has existed, we are always handing off from generation to generation the torch to continue to provide quality services. The retirees are part of that legacy.”