Drug Seizure Dollars Buy Fitness Equipment For Police Station

Drug seizure money will pay for fitness equipment in the new Palatine Police headquarters.

The $64,934 purchase of fitness equipment for the new station at 595 N. Hicks Road was approved by the Village Council Monday.

“It’s a fund that we keep adding to where the money is seized from drug dealers apprehended in the village,” Police Chief John Koziol said. “In the past, we have paid for training, and bought Tasers for each of the 90 officers on the force, at a cost of close to $50,000.”  

Village Manager Reid Ottesen said $72,000 was originally allocated for the equipment, but the bid from Schiller Park-based Life Fitness came in $7,065 under budget.

“The cost seems a little high,” said Aaron Del Mar, District 1 Council member.

“Since we are using asset forfeiture funds, the money is not coming out of the general fund, and this is a qualifying expense; there are no bonds involved,” Ottesen said.

Ottesen said all equipment being purchased is refurbished, and will provide a number of additional benefits to the village.

“Fitness standards have to be adhered to by department personnel, and it comes back to us in the form of loss control with less time (taken) off due to healthier employees,” Ottesen said.

In addition to police officers, village employees will also be allowed to utilize the fitness equipment during non-working hours, Koziol said.

Funding for a communication center and computer forensic rooms were also approved by the council, at a cost of $40,506 from Watson Dispatch out of Poulsbo, Washington. 

Construction of the new headquarters is still on schedule, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, Koziol said.

The new police headquarters will double the size of the current 37,000 square foot police station at 200 E. Wood Street. A parking garage at the new police station will take up an additional 20,000 square feet.

The headquarters has an overall price tag of about $22 million.