It’s encouraging to see communities investing in themselves.

Take, for example, the plans of some area municipalities to upgrade facilities for police and fire protection.

Over the last few years, Jim Thorpe, Palmerton and - most recently - Lansford are in various stages of providing a new home for their officers. In Bowmanstown, they’re looking at a new location for the fire department and borough offices.

And the best part is that much of the work is being done with no immediate effect on taxpayers’ pocketbooks.

One might say the trend began almost 15 years ago when officers in Lehighton took up residence in the police department’s headquarters on South Third Street. Back then, police moved into the renovated former meeting room of the Lehighton Fire Department in its Station 2 building, replacing cramped facilities in the municipal building which hosted police for some 75 years.

A little to the south in Palmerton, there’s a lot of work being done on funding a potential new police station.

Council there is seeking grant money for a new facility as large as 5,000 square feet at a new site, though there are not yet any concrete plans.

In Jim Thorpe, contracts have been awarded to renovate Memorial Hall and build a new public service garage.

As part of the plan, the top floor of the building will get some major upgrades to house borough offices and a community center, while the bottom floor will become the police department’s new home.

Perhaps the largest police related transformation is coming in Lansford, where borough officials plan to convert the former world headquarters of the Silberline Corp. into a police department.

The facility would replace current police quarters in the basement of the borough hall. It would have interview rooms and a holding cell and a large conference room to host training for area officers.

A kitchen and showers would be added conveniences for working officers.

A little to the west in Tamaqua, the Civic Partnership there has embarked on a multimillion-dollar project to open a combination police station and community center in a building that once housed the former Moose Lodge.

The police station would be in one part of the building and the social hall, community center and district magistrate offices in a planned three-story addition. Adjacent buildings have already been razed to create parking for the new facility.

All this comes as the city of Allentown is considering a $28 million proposal to rehabilitate and expand its more than 60-year-old police headquarters to accommodate a growing law enforcement presence.

The upgrades would bring the department into compliance with the American Disabilities Act and fire department requirements. A new sally port would help police securely escort potential criminals to holding areas or interview rooms.

Also in the Queen City, there’s talk of replacing a crumbling central fire station. Action on that project is expected later this year.

All these improvements certainly can help police do their jobs.

The upgrades will include the latest in communications equipment and offer places to store and manage evidence.

They’ll give suspects and witnesses confidential space for questioning and secure areas to detain anyone awaiting the next steps in a new or ongoing investigation.

Placing a new station strategically can speed up response times and possibly keep damage or harm to a minimum. It can also deter nearby crime, as those with ill intentions aren’t likely to spend much time anywhere near police.

At the same time, upgrading a police station makes it more accessible to the public, especially people with physical challenges who may need an officer.

In the short term, any new facility work creates construction jobs and depending on its size, a need for maintenance workers that can add to a community’s economy.

In the long run, spending money on a new station might prove more cost effective for taxpayers who’ve dealt with band-aid solutions to the ills of older buildings.

Unless someone’s on the wrong side of the law, new or upgraded police buildings are a source of pride anywhere.

It’s an investment in a community that pays dividends in well-being and security for everyone involved.

And it’s certainly worth the price.

Ed Socha | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism. Reach him at tneditor@tnonline.com.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.