Justice Center Designed to Improve Efficiency
AUBURN, Calif. — A new $27 million justice center that opened in June will serve several county agencies and improve efficiency for the Placer County criminal justice system, according to the project architect.
The 97,900-square-foot building designed by Beverly Prior Architects, of San Francisco, houses the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, probation department and the district attorney’s office. It is in close proximity to the jail, juvenile hall and court facilities, which will improve operations and create a central legal area for the public, according to planners.
The facility also creates efficiencies within the interior with a two-story staff circulation spine that allows for interaction between various departments. The spine’s translucent glass panel system provides a visual connection to the adjacent staff courtyard, according to architects.
(Above) Stone excavated during construction was left on site to create a natural security barrier. (Below) The justice center features a rotunda with punched windows. |
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The outer lobby of the building features bulletproof glass where public transactions take place and a secure inner lobby has open service counters for police business. High-tech interview rooms adjacent to the inner lobby provide a place for officers to speak with crime victims or suspects in a confidential environment.
The building also features a dispatch center with a kitchen, locker room, conference room, sleeping room with a terrace, evidence processing and storage space, computer forensics examination lab, and a room for community meetings that can fit up to 80 people.
An attached auxiliary building houses a firing range with eight lanes that can fit automobiles and other props for realistic training scenarios.