Chapel Hill Police Department moves into new headquarters

After years of issues at the old headquarters, including serious environmental problems, the Chapel Hill Police Department has a new home. The new space has a focus on health and wellness, with improved gym and training facilities, and nursing space for mothers.
Posted 9/25/2025, 10:21:03 PM Updated 9/25/2025, 11:00:09 PM

NEXT YEAR. IT IS SET TO BRING A

COUPLE 100 JOBS FOR PILOTS AND

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS.

>> CHAPEL HILL POLICE HAVE A

BRAND NEW HOME. THE OLD

HEADQUARTERS HAD BEEN FALLING

APART AND TALKS TO MOVE HAD

BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS.

BUT YOU ARE YELLS. MONICA CASEY

TAKES US INSIDE THIS NEW

BUILDING. THAT'S TAKING THE

DEPARTMENT INTO THE FUTURE.

>> IT'S A NEW HOME FOR THE

GUARDIANS OF THE HILL. THAT

AGENCY IS FULLY STAFFED AND

THIS SPACE GIVES THEM ROOM TO

GROW. THIS IS WHERE THEY WOULD

BRIEF EVERY DAY. THE CHAPEL

HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT

HEADQUARTERS ON MILLHOUSE ROAD

IS DESIGNED WITH EVERYONE IN

MIND. CHIEF CELISA LEHEW SAYS

THE GOAL IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY

TRUST. I BELIEVE THAT POLICING

IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS OF

THIS. IS THAT WELCOMING SPACE

TO BE ABLE TO DO SO WITH WITH

AN AVERAGE OF ALMOST 13,000

CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE LAST

2.70, ANNUAL REPORTS AND

HUNDREDS OF CARE RESPONSES WITH

CRISIS COUNSELORS. ANOTHER

PRIORITY OF THE NEW FACILITY IS

HEALTH AND WELLNESS. MAJOR

UPGRADES TO THE GYM ALLOWING

FOR A NEW BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT

TRAINING ACADEMY. MORE SPACE

FOR THERAPY DOG FRANKIE AND A

NURSING ROOM FROM OTHERS.

WE ARE PART OF THE 30 BY 30

INITIATIVE IN WHICH WE ATTRACT

MORE WOMEN TO THIS PROFESSION

BY THE YEAR 2030, SAFETY IS

ANOTHER FOCUS AND EMERGENCY

OPERATIONS CENTER AND IMPROVE

PROTOCOL WITH DT NEEDS. THEY

WOULD DRIVE UP THE RAM

PHYSICALLY COME INTO THIS

BUILDING WITH THEIR CAR AND

THEN ACCESS ARE PROCESSING

UNIT, WHICH IS DOWN HERE.

THAT'S A STEP UP FROM WALKING

OR ESTES IN FROM THE BACK

PARKING LOT HERE IN A 2, 8 MLK

BOULEVARD, A BUILDING WITH

ISSUES OF PESTS FLOODING AND

COAL ASH BURIED AT THE SITE

IN CHAPEL HILL. MONICA CASEY,

WRAL, NEWS PROGRESS THERE.

THE DEPARTMENT IS FINISHING UP

A STAGGERED MOVED TO THE NEW

SPACE TO AVOID ANY INTERRUPTION