U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright hands Jenkins Twp. Police Chief Frank Mudlock a certificate honoring the opening of the new Jenkins Township Police Station during Saturday’s dedication ceremony of the facility, located off of the Pittston Bypass.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
The new Jenkins Township police garage was dedicated to former state Sen. John Yudichak during Saturday morning’s ceremony. Yudichak helped to secure funding for the new space, which cost just under $700,000 and was financed with a mix of federal, state and local funds.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
The new Jenkins Township police station sits at 48 Colonel Jenkins Drive, off of the Pittston Bypass. According to Stanley Rovinski, chairman of the township Board of Supervisors, the new location offers a larger space to perform duties more efficiently.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
JENKINS TWP. — Despite the rain, members of the community flocked to fill the inside of the new Jenkins Township police station and garage on Saturday morning.
And for good reason, as most helped in some way to make the new headquarters a reality.
“All of these people here today had a part,” said Stanley Rovinski, chairman of the township Board of Supervisors.
With the local Little League and Lions Club to the Crime Watch and Fire Department and others in attendance, it was hard to not feel the overwhelming sense of community bouncing off the walls of the township’s newest addition.
The new station sits at 48 Colonel Jenkins Drive (formerly 58 Chestnut St) just off of the Pittston Bypass. The team, comprised of five full-time officers and six part-time officers, formerly shared the space in the Municipal Building at 46½ Main St.
The township purchased the land in 2020 with the intention of replacing the old station and, now, the police department will continue to serve its approximately 15 square miles of Jenkins Township and Yatesville Borough with greater efficiency thanks to the new additions, Rovinski said.
“We outgrew our building,” Rovinski said. “Everybody was placed into one room, and it just had to happen.”
“It’s all modern and now we have cameras in the parks and we can monitor them from here. The response times are better and all the neighbors love it,” he added.
During the dedication, several members of local and state leadership spoke before the packed garage. One of these leaders, former state senator John Yudichak, was surprised with the unveiling of the new garage’s name: The Senator John T. Yudichak Police Facility.
“He served us so many years — we had to name it after him,” Rovinski said.
The expenses for the almost $700,000 project came from federal, state and local funding — which, according to Rovinski, were secured in large part due to Yudichak during his time as senator.
And Yudichak couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with the honor.
“This is the first time that I’ve been on a building,” Yudichak said.
“I don’t think in my 24 years of serving that any community has recognized me in this way — thank you very much,” he added.
