Chapel Hill Police Department moves into new headquarters after years of waiting

After decades in the making, the Chapel Hill Police Department now has a new headquarters.

2025-09-25

The old site on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was deteriorating, and the land around it had serious environmental concerns.

The new leased site at 7300 Millhouse Road is more than 10,000 square feet larger.

The new facility puts the department’s priorities first, including a focus on building community relationships, health and wellness, and safety.

Chief Celisa Lehew said the goal is to build community trust.

“I believe policing is all about relationships, so this is that welcoming space to be able to do so,” Lehew said during a media tour.

Data shows CHPD employees have responded to an average of almost 13,000 calls for service in the two most recent semi-annual reports and performed hundreds of CARE responses with crisis counselors.

That makes another priority at the new facility health and wellness, including major upgrades to the gym, allowing for a new Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy, more space for therapy dog Frankie, and a nursing room for mothers.

“We are part of the 30 by 30 initiative in which we attract more women to this profession by the year 2030,” Lehew said.

Safety is another focus; the new site includes a significantly larger emergency operations center with space for multiple Town departments and outside agencies.

It has also improved protocol when interacting with detainees.

“If an officer did have a physical arrest, they would drive up the ramp, physically come into the building with the car, and then access our processing unit, which is down here,” Lehew explained.

That's a step up from walking arrestees in from the back parking lot at 828 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, a building with issues of pests, flooding, and toxic coal ash buried at the site.

The Department has been moving on a staggered schedule, ensuring there are no interruptions of service. The final employees will move into the new site by the end of the week, and it will officially open to the public on Monday.