Little things like a full size refrigerator and sink in the break room are exciting for the Maple Valley Police Department staff now that they’ve settled into their new digs, but the biggest highlight is the place is safer.

“It is definitely an upgrade, which is important because Maple Valley is a city of 23,000 people, so it’s important to have a high speed, professional working space,” said Maple Valley Police Chief Michelle Bennett.

Earlier this month the department, along with Maple Valley city staff, moved into the space they are leasing in the Windermere building on Wax Road just a block away from the old facility.

The police are on the first floor on the right as you walk into the building. Previously the department storefront was two doors down from the entrance to City Hall.

There were a number of drawbacks that have been resolved in the new space, Bennett said. A critical issue is safety of her officers and staff.

“I had people storming into my office,” she said. “People would walk in the front door, storm right by Robin and into my office. There was no security.”

Given the recent spate of officer shootings in the region, the need for security was highlighted, and the move couldn’t have come at a better time for the department.

“Often when people come into the police department, they’re not happy,” Bennett said. “It could have been a potentially unsafe situation. Whenever that front door would open you were basically (on guard) and there was no barrier. Now, like other departments, we have a bulletproof glass window and you don’t have access to the rest of the (office).”

As you enter the department, there is a small lobby, with a bullet proof window between visitors and personnel as well as a secure door.

In addition to the amenities in the kitchen — they didn’t have a break room area in the old space — there is a conference room and an interview room as well as a bigger office for Bennett and an office for the patrol sergeant that the chief hopes to have on board by the end of April.

“The old office was just a large open area so if you had a suspect, witness or a victim the only place you could do an interview was in the conference room in City Hall or go to the precinct or my office,” Bennett said. “So, now if you want to interview someone you actually have a space to do that in.”

It’s a more professional environment as well as more secure, and Bennett said the upgrades have created an almost tangible spike in morale among her officers, who are all “very happy.”

“Our goal is always to be an accessible, responsive police department and I think this new facility helps us do that,” she said.