Design features to consider for Police Lockers

Choosing the best design features for police lockers needs careful consideration. As police lockers are a taxpayer investment and used frequently, there are many points to consider.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to estimate the items that each police officer will store. All police equipment stored in lockers can be measured for approximate dimensions. A locker room provides a place to prepare officers for their next shift. It’s also a place to switch off at the end of a busy one. Spaces that are well planned and organised reduce stress and promote peace of mind. An organised layout with considered design features for police lockers will store all weapons, uniforms and other gear.

The most common items that need to be stored by our police force are:

• Uniform on hangers
• Hat/helmet
• Duty belt
• Shoes
• Workout gear
• Towel
• Toiletries
• Personal gadgets
• Chargers

This is a good starting point to determine the design features needed for police officers’ lockers. Some police officers might also need to store:

• A radio
• CS gas canisters
• Body camera
• A baton
• Flashlights
• Gloves
• Firearms and ammunition
• Taser and other weapons

The following points are key design features to consider for Police Lockers:

A Charging Station in Police Lockers

• Charging stations inside police lockers are important to keep devices in charge. Having charging lockers means gadgets can be charged during off-hours and ready for use on a working day.

Police Lockers with Drawers

• Drawers provide a separate compartment and are great for storing heavier bulkier items such as boots. They can be the same depth as the locker.  Drawers can also be made deeper and fitted with a bench on top to serve as a seat and provide additional storage.

Police Lockers with Benches

• If your locker room has space, providing a bench seat for uniform lockers is a good investment. Police lockers with benches are fitted as a separate unit below the locker.  The more space available the deeper the drawer base and seat can be. Providing a bench as a seat will make changing footwear etc a more comfortable experience.  These design features for police lockers should be considered according to the needs of each officer.

A separate internal Locking Compartment

• A separate compartment provides an extra layer of security for cash and other personal valuables. It has its own locking compartment inside the locker. These internal compartments look almost like lockable cubes and can be secured with either a cam lock or padlock.

Consider “Ventilation” as a design feature in Police Lockers

• Many lockers are ventilated with louvres on the locker doors. Louvres on locker doors allow fresh air to circulate. If ventilation is a top priority you should consider installing ducts. Ducts are an air extraction system that is concealed under the lockers’ sloped tops. These ducts draw air out through the lockers and outside the building.
• Frequently, drawer bases are ventilated to allow the drying of wet boots and gear. Small diamond sections are punched through the metal in various sizes and quantities.

A Drying Rack or a Heated locker incorporated into the design?

• A drying rack allows wet gear to be placed on a hanger and left to dry out naturally. These can be either mesh sections of locker shaped racks or static hanging rail sections.
• A bespoke heated locker system on the other hand will dry the garments in a locked heated environment. This means wet clothing stored in metal lockers will be dry and ready for the next shift. Heated lockers have a tube heater inserted below in a skirted locker stand. A perforated locker base allows warm air to circulate up through the inside of the locker.
• Officers’ lives depend on their body armour vests so they need care and attention.  At best, they should be laid out to completely dry between shifts.

“Shared Facilities” are a worthwhile design consideration 

• Shared locker facilities maximise locker usage. It not only divides cost but is helpful to our environment also. Designing lockers with these locker features will help you make the most of your investment.

Durable Lockers are a key feature

• Uniform lockers for emergency services need to be tough, secure and built to last.  When built from a heavy-duty construction, these large volume lockers will suit almost any sort of police attire.
• Storing kit, body armour, clothing and personal effects needs sturdy lockers to withstand years of daily use. For added stability in security locker rooms, the lockers can be secured back to back or wall-mounted.

Customise lockers for your police officers’ needs

• Customise your police officer personal storage lockers by choosing from a variety of options. These include police lockers with separate locking compartments, charging facilities, drawers, a bench, and much more.
• Uniform lockers can come with flat tops or sloped tops.  Sloped tops prevent items from being stored on top of lockers and keep the locker room tidy.
• Locking options include cam locks supplied with 2 keys as standard as well as the hasp and staple lock. You will incur additional costs for combination and coin return/retain locks.

Which company is armed with the knowledge to incorporate these features into police lockers?

• With full control over the process from beginning to end, Helmsman can offer you a fully customised police locker.
• Recently, our prime minister Boris Johnson stated a forthcoming shortfall of lockers for 20,000 police officers. Police officers will need lockers to keep their kits safely stored away.  His department outlined equipment must be stored somewhere overnight and finding locker space would be the key.
• We are confident we can meet these demands and incorporate these design features into your police lockers. It’s important to get professional advice on optimising your storage solution. Our team of professionals can provide you with information on our range of police locker options. Contact us or outline your requirements in our quotation form.