Norfolk Police Department Navigates Challenges Amidst Multimillion-Dollar Renovations

NORFOLK, Neb. - The Norfolk Police Department is facing logistical challenges as it undergoes a multimillion-dollar renovation project. The construction, which began in 2025, has prompted officials to seek temporary solutions, including the potential use of a new building, to ensure the continuation of daily operations.

So far, the department has completed a parking lot on the south side of the building, improving accessibility for police vehicles. However, the remodeling of the first and second floors has presented complications.

"It is really turning into the reality that the second floor is going to need to be vacated," said Norfolk PD Captain Mike Bauer. "So that construction can occur without interrupting our daily work." The department faces a March 17 deadline to relocate certain operations to the former Behavioral Health Services building at 9th and Norfolk Avenue.

The move will not encompass all employees, as dispatch and patrol officers will remain at the current location. "We will have to operate out of both buildings to some degree," Bauer explained. "But our dispatch and officers will remain here. What will be moving is the administration, city attorney's office, and our investigative bureau, meaning our detectives."

The IT department is currently assessing the Behavioral Health building to determine the necessary modifications to create a functional temporary workspace.

Despite the ongoing winter weather, construction crews have continued to pour footings for an addition on the east side of the building. If the renovation of the first and second floors proceeds as scheduled, the department anticipates a phased return to the original building. The overall project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027.