MIFFLINTOWN — While talks of renovating the existing Pennsylvania State Police at Lewistown barracks in Mifflintown had been ongoing for some time, the tragic events of last June when one trooper was killed and another critically wounded ended those discussions, according to Station Cmdr. Lucas Rankin.

The fact that a lone gunman drove into the barracks’ parking lot and fired rounds into an unmanned cruiser revealed serious safety concerns.

“New stations have fencing around them and are built on higher ground, so they’re more secure,” Rankin explained. “After the shooting, it was decided this is unacceptable.”

Within the next two or three years, the current barracks, located at 140 Stoney Creek Drive, are expected to be replaced by a new facility that is nearly twice the size and offers more security and other amenities.

Those barracks will house at least 20 PSP Troop G members stationed at Lewistown. Troop G also has stations in Bedford, Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg, Huntingdon and McConnellsburg.

While the specific location of the new barracks is still undecided, it should remain within a mile of the Arch Rock exit.

A recent study revealed the barracks are located “exactly where they need to be,” Rankin said. “Most of our work is in Juniata County. Most of the calls in the populated areas of Mifflin County are covered by the local police departments. We were more on the outskirts up there, and our call volume is less compared to what our volume is in Juniata County.”

Beside opting to build a new barracks, upgrading the current facility also faced a few other challenges.

“We originally were going to just upgrade the building by adding a wing onto it and updating the walls, flooring and ceilings,” Rankin said. “Just pretty much make it like a new station.

“With some of the security concerns with the way the building is laid out, they decided to go with a whole new building,” he added.

While the barrack’s completion date might be two or three years, Rankin said the work on the project started six months ago.

“We’ve signed off on the plans, so it’s out to bid,” Rankin said.

The current barracks were built about 20 years ago. Before moving to Juniata County, the state police barracks were located in Mifflin County, at the top of the hill in Yeagertown near the Quality Inn. The barracks were located on the site of the former Burnham Drive-In, which closed in September 1982.

The winning bidder for the new barracks in Mifflintown must provide the land on which the new building will be constructed and must build the structure according to the plans. The state will work with that developer to determine a site which will work the best, and the police would then rent the facility, Rankin said.

He added the owner of the current site for the police barracks – Groninger Farms LLP – could also be involved with future barracks project if they submit the winning bid.

The new building has been designed with growth and safety in mind.

The security measures will benefit troopers and visitors alike. Besides the incident with Stine, Rankin said roofing nails have been found in the driveway entrance and unwanted traffic passes through the lot despite posted signs.

The general area around the current barracks has also built up since the current station opened.

The new facility would have security upgrades including additional surveillance cameras, higher windows and heavy-duty, armored doors. There will also be a shooting range, like the one at the barracks in Newport, bigger evidence room and a larger impound lot for vehicles.

Currently, troopers have to travel nearly 25 miles to the Newport barracks to use their range since there isn’t one at the Mifflintown barracks. Having their own range would reduce driving time and fuel costs for the troopers.

“I’ve always wanted to go with a new station, but they need to justify the spending,” Rankin said. “It (new facility) might increase the rent a little bit, but the safety factor outweighs the cost.”

“There’s going to be more computer stations in the patrol room. Locker rooms are a little bigger with both female and male accommodations,” he added. “The crime room is going to be a little bit bigger just in case we do get more detectives.”

Rankin said staffing is frequently determined by call volume as well as the nature of calls.