Porter County Sheriff's Department

Substation In Shorewood

Police to open Shorewood substation

Public invited to Saturday's grand opening

BY KEN KOSKY

Date posted online: Thursday, June 21, 2007

SHOREWOOD FOREST | The Porter County Sheriff's Department will open a substation in Shorewood Forest in Union Township.
The grand opening of the office -- in the utilities building on Utility Drive, east of Shorewood Drive -- is set for 9 a.m. Saturday. The public is invited to tour the building and meet Sheriff David Lain, other police officials and members of the Shorewood Homeowners Association.
Lain said homeowners association members always have been vigilant about reporting traffic problems and other public safety concerns. A few months ago, they approached police about donating some office space if police were interested in having a greater presence in the community.

Lain said police benefit from having substations because they don't have to drive back to the main headquarters in Valparaiso to do things like fax documents or transfer arrested juveniles to their parents. Police also can store bicycles at their substations to make it easier to conduct bicycle patrols in those communities. That allows officers to have an increased presence there.
"They (Shorewood) very generously offered to provide us space and renovate an area for our exclusive use," Lain said, adding police will not be charged rent.  "It's an investment to the community and they (the homeowners association) responded to the needs and desires of their constituency."  This substation primarily will benefit Union and Porter townships, Lain said.  The department already maintains a substation in South Haven.