The Lehighton Police Department is plagued by cramped offices, limited parking and an increase in crime.

The police department has outgrown its current quarters and needs more space.What measures will be taken to alleviate the situation remain under consideration, according to borough police Chief Brian Biechy during a recent tour of the department.About 30 members of the Lehighton Fire Department attended a meeting of borough council last month with concerns that the police department wants to use the entire bay of the old Engine Company No. 2.Biechy said the police department uses half the bay, which it shares with the fire department."Right now we use it for parking," Biechy said. "We make it work, but it's not the best."Borough manager Nicole Beckett said council had turned the issue over to the Police, Fire and Safety Committee.The fire departmentMichael Mriss, assistant fire chief, told council that the fire department "received word secondhand concerning the front portion of the bay of station 2."Mriss said at the council meeting that the National Fire Protection Agency statute covers strategic planning, and has been adopted by the borough in the fire department's standard operating guidelines."This strategic planning takes place every July to protect and plan the needs for the next 20 years," Mriss said. "Council is invited to this meeting and is also provided with a copy of the strategic plan."Mriss said that includes operational plans for the future as well.He said the fire station project has been in the plan since1994, and that the building committee put in countless hours planning a building project that would service the borough for years to come.He said in August 2012, the fire department had to enter a redesign phase of the building plans "because bids came in over budget."During this time, the committee sat down and made choices based off the understandings and agreements during this project," he said. "This included the continued use of station No. 2."As a result, Mriss said the committee decided it was beneficial to complete various projects in station No. 2 versus finishing the kitchen, showers and other potential alternates.Those included lintel cover on the front garage door, enlarging the rear garage door to accommodate larger apparatus, brick re-pointing of the entire building, south door installation, and reworking the Third Street entrance door.Mriss said the improvements the fire department chose with the understanding that it would continue to occupy the building exceed $124,747, which does not include items that came out of the annual department budget such as siding, windows and roof replacement.The budget amount and fire department funds toward station No. 2 exceeds an additional $20,000, he said."This area is currently utilized to store apparatus, hose, wash and dry hose, complete equipment and apparatus maintenance and repair, store the inventory of Personal Protective Equipment among other things, which is part of our operational plan," Mriss said."I would like to ask council to consider how much planning has taken place thus far and what planning would benefit the borough and the citizens now and in the future."The police departmentBiechy said the police department continues to grow, but lacks the proper space in which to do so.He said the police department consists of 14 officers, 10 of which are full-time.There are three to four officers per every cubicle, and only three usable cubicles, as the fourth is used by detectives, Biechy said.He also said the parking lot is too small, as parking is limited for vehicles and staff; and the slopes cause safety hazards in bad weather.Biechy said the police department is not functioning efficiently, and believes that the police department has been placed on the back burner."Crime is outgrowing, and the needs of what we need to do to provide services are growing," he said.In 2011, the police department moved into the former Lehighton Fire Company building at 124 S. Third St.The building bears the name of former Lehighton Borough Mayor William "Cap" Bauchspies.