Lindon's new police station opens

LINDON — A fleet of shiny new police trucks and SUVs stands in the parking lot and four pristine police bikes in the basement.

The ink is ready for fingerprinting in the booking area and the holding cells should be getting their toilets in the next few days.

In less than two weeks the Lindon City Police Department will be in full force, and the public got to see the police station for the first time at a ribbon-cutting Wednesday.

"Things can happen (in Lindon)," said Police Chief Cody Cullimore. "But it still has that good, small-town feeling. We want to keep it that way."

A total of 14 officers, excluding Cullimore, will be patrolling the streets of Lindon beginning midnight June 30, bringing with them decades of experience from West Valley, Saratoga Springs, Pleasant Grove, South Jordan, Orem, American Fork, Alpine/Highland and the Department of Corrections.

Numerous officers are also instructor-level certified in 11 different police disciplines, and on Wednesday afternoon, officers were learning, from their own colleagues, about arrest holds and take downs, as well as sharp-edged weapons.

"We're getting cheap training because they're training each other," Cullimore said.

Along with the past 10 days of training, there have been been bonding opportunities for the men.

"We've worked really hard at being family-oriented," Cullimore said. "If you know somebody and like them, you'll look out for them, trust them."

It's that atmosphere that brought Darrell Bingham to Lindon and back into law enforcement.

Bingham left a stressful police career in Orem to work in the juvenile justice system. But after several years and an offer to work with Cullimore, he's donning a police uniform once again.

"I love being a cop," he said. "The stresses pushed me out, but (here) I can do what I love and not have too much stress."

The patrol officer said he appreciates the down-to-earth approach of Cullimore and the Lindon City Council — Mayor Jim Dain even ran the physical fitness test with the officers, Bingham said.

"When you ... take polls of what is important to people in cities, always the number one thing is their public safety," Dain said Tuesday night at the City Council meeting where the new officers were introduced. "As I look out here and see you ... I'm convinced we've got a great force. We're honored to have you."

Last fall, Lindon split from Pleasant Grove's Police Department and began developing their own force. In April, the City Council decided to partner with Orem for fire/EMS and dispatch services, rather than stay with Pleasant Grove.

Ten of the officers are from Pleasant Grove and the change has been a bit harder than Cullimore predicted.

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