photo by: Gage Vota

The St. Clairsville Police Department now has a new headquarters located at 131 South Sugar St.

The new home for the St. Clairsville Police Department is more than just a building.

The new police department headquarters was recently dedicated to St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman. Police Chief Matt Arbenz said that the new headquarters was dedicated to Thalman because she does so much for everybody in the city.

“We wouldn’t have this new place without her. So it only made sense for us to want to dedicate that building to her name,” Arbenz said. “And that’s 100% honest. She always looks out not just for the police department, but every single department and every employee in the city and makes us all feel like we’re all part of a family.”

Arbenz said Thalman is the glue that holds the city employees together and believes that she plays a crucial role in all of the departments working well together.

“We all get along with each other, we share meals and have picnics with each other,” Arbenz said. “It’s just never happened before. So the morale is lifted so high. And then she’s always very supportive of the police department.”

Thalman said that the decision to dedicate the new headquarters in her name came as a complete shock.

She said Arbenz and Police Officer T.J. Stewart told her on Friday that they had one more piece of business they needed to sort out before the headquarters was opened. The ruse worked as Thalman came into the headquarters believing there was a last minute hiccup with the planning.

“I walked in that room and they said, ‘We want you to know that we’re dedicating this to you,'” Thalman said. “I just broke down crying, and I looked like a fool because I don’t cry real pretty. But I had no idea. And I could not be more humbled or more honored.”

She added that the plaque the department had made to dedicate the building to Thalman has a picture of her and her dog Sammy. She said that she’s happy that picture was used, as she and Sammy are always together.

“Our town has a lot of heart and soul, and I think that our police are going to be able to provide even better coverage and better service to our residents with the new building,” Thalman said.

The plaque says how the building is dedicated to Thalman in recognition of her unwavering support for the police department.

“This building stands as a testament to her leadership and commitment to the safety of our city,” the plaque states.

The new headquarters’ address is 131 South Sugar St. Although the building has been dedicated to Thalman and its grand opening occurred, Arbenz said that his department has yet to convert over to the new facility. He said that it is in the process but he is still waiting on the phone provider to complete installing the systems.

In the meantime the police department is still functioning out of its old location at 100 N Market St.