Elsmere police to leave behind unique piece of department’s history with move to new building

ELSMERE, Ky. (WXIX) - The Elsmere Police Department is preparing to move into its new headquarters, but leaving its home for the last 25 years will mean leaving behind one of the department’s unique features.

An evidence room is standard for police departments. What makes Elsmere PD’s evidence room different is that it at one time was a bank vault.

“If anybody would break in here, they’re not getting in here, and this is where the most valuable stuff is,” explains Elsmere Detective Eric Higgins.

Soon, all of this evidence will have to be transported down the street to the brand new police department, which of course does not have a vault like this.

To let everybody remember the iconic vault, the police department made challenge coins.

The coins will hold a special spot for former Elsmere police chief Tim Thames.

“When Chief Maier called me and told me what they’d done, and he got a couple of coins to me, I saw it and it was just a nice finishing touch for something as iconic as this safe,” Thames said.

Read More | New city building, police department being built in Elsmere

Those that worked in the department say despite the long and sometimes difficult days on the job, they will remember this building in a positive way.

Joyce Jump, who worked with the City of Elsmere for 41 years before retiring recently, is among those.

“Every memory I have here is good,” Joyce said. “It was a great place to work it was like a family place and I truly miss it.”

The Elsmere Police Department will move into its new shared building with the City Administration later this year.

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