08/20/2026
Kirtland is the City of Faith and Beauty, and we believe in one simple principle: our community comes first.
Yesterday, we introduced you to and officially welcomed K9 Beacon to the Kirtland Police Department. Today, we want to give you an up-close look at a long-standing project that took a true community effort to achieve.
Our new Soft Interview Room was created from a vision shared by our entire department: to provide victims, children, survivors, and those experiencing crisis with a safe, comfortable, trauma-informed space where they can feel at ease, be heard, and be treated with dignity and compassion.
That vision became a reality because of the incredible support of our community.
A special thank-you to the Kirtland Kiwanis, whose significant monetary support helped make this project possible, along with several Kiwanians who personally contributed their time and talents:
• Rich Lowery and Kent Packer – for generously giving their time, skills, and hands-on assistance in constructing the room
• Mary Sams – for her generous donation of wall art and thoughtful assistance with room layout and staging.
• Sherie Scott of Synergy Salons – for decorating assistance and donations of children’s and teen books, games, and stuffed animals
We are equally grateful to:
• Steven Pastor, an Auburn Career Institute student, who took our ideas and vision and developed the detailed blueprint and plans that helped guide the project
• James Gilchrist, owner of Nova Terra LLC- Parma, who generously donated his time, professional expertise, and electrical work
• The Kirtland Service Council for their generous monetary donation and support of this project
The addition of K9 Beacon brings another meaningful layer to this space. In appropriate situations, Beacon can provide a calming presence and added comfort for individuals navigating difficult or emotional circumstances.
This room represents much more than furniture, paint, and décor. It represents a department vision brought to life by a community willing to step up for one another.
To everyone who helped make it possible, thank you. Your generosity will have a lasting impact on the people we serve.
To our knowledge, this is the first space of its kind in Lake County, and we want its impact to extend beyond Kirtland. We invite our law enforcement partners throughout the county to utilize this room for sensitive or trauma-related interviews. If this space helps one more victim, one more child, or one more person in crisis feel safe enough to share their story, then it is serving its purpose.
We are stronger when we work together. 💙🐾
