WILLIAMSPORT -- Police in Williamsport are beefing up security at their headquarters on West Fourth Street.
Right now, anyone can walk into Williamsport City Hall through the police department and leave through the back door. Soon, new safety measures will prevent that from happening.
The police department in Williamsport is in the back of city hall. If you've never been inside, you may not notice the renovations.
"You just walk in and they were there. Little glass counter and that was it," said Lee Viard.
Fresh paint and new walls are being added and what used to be a long hallway will soon be blocked off. Two security doors should be in place by next week. It's all part of a $20,000 project to update security at the police department.
"At times, we have prisoners that are here and secured. We have victims and witnesses here, and to have the general public just walking through and intermingling with those individuals was a major concern,” said Captain Jody Miller.
The Williamsport Bureau of Police recently reorganized the department. Now most of the offices are now behind secure doors.
"You're going to come through the back doors and you are actually going to come into just a lobby area and at that point, you are going to have to be escorted through or an officer will come and get you,” said Miller.
"With all the shootings with the police, my God, they have to beef up stuff," said Viard.
There is only one handicap-accessible entrance at city hall and it leads right into the police department, so when those doors go up, officers will have to lead people through their department to get to the rest of the building.
"We will assist you to get you through this part of the building, to get you to where you need to go,” said Captain Miller.
"Sometimes you have to put up with a little inconvenience to make things work," said Viard.
The doors should be in place by next week. The money for the upgrades is coming from the Williamsport city budget.