Police stations must be able to balance accessibility with robust protection, functioning as facilities that uphold public safety while remaining approachable. This makes them vulnerable to unpredictable interactions, and, in some cases, targeted violence. To reduce risk, many police stations incorporate bullet-resistant windows and doors. Such security solutions are not just reinforced glass or heavy doors. They are tested systems that include ballistic glazing, reinforced frames, specialized anchoring, and durable hardware. When employed in a police station, they can withstand gunfire and delay forced entry, making proper placement essential for both security and the continuity of daily operations.

Why Strategic Placement Matters

Police stations are typically divided into four security zones:

  • Public – Fully accessible areas like lobbies, entrances, and waiting rooms.
  • Semi-public – Visitor-controlled points like reception counters or interview rooms.
  • Secure – Staff-only zones like offices, locker rooms, and internal corridors.
  • Critical – High-security spaces like dispatch centres, custody suites, and evidence rooms.

Each zone has different security, visibility, and access-control needs based on its level of public exposure, primary function, and threat profile. Bullet-resistant barriers are most effective when focused on areas that have the highest risk of violent confrontation, with doors and windows functioning as part of an integrated assembly that includes glazing, frame, wall structure, and hardware. Placing them where they can delay, deflect, or contain threats offers the best return on investment and ensures safety is built into the architecture of the police station from the start.

Where Bullet-Resistant Windows Are Needed in Police Stations

Reception Areas

The reception area is often the busiest point of contact between the public and police station staff. It handles a wide range of interactions, from routine enquiries to more sensitive or unpredictable situations, including witness statements, crime reporting, disputes, or heated exchanges. Installing teller-style ballistic windows, complete with intercoms and pass-through trays, strengthens protection for front-desk staff and keeps communication open, enhancing staff safety without interrupting daily operations.

Public Lobbies and Ground-Floor Glass

In police stations, ground-floor windows, especially those near public lobbies, can unintentionally provide sightlines into secure areas. Where this exposure exists, ballistic glazing rated to UL 752 Level 3 or higher can help reduce risk. Materials like laminated polycarbonate or glass-clad polycarbonate are commonly used in these bullet-resistant window systems to provide protection, maintain visibility, and allow natural light into the space, establishing both security and a welcoming environment.

Interview and Observation Spaces

Small bullet-resistant windows can be installed in interview rooms, intake areas, or observation points that face public corridors. They offer necessary visibility for supervision or monitoring without introducing a structural vulnerability.

Dispatch Rooms

Dispatch rooms don’t typically include windows, but if one exists and faces a public zone, like a lobby, it must be properly reinforced with ballistic protection. A viewing window used to observe public spaces should incorporate bullet-resistant glazing that matches the surrounding wall’s ballistic rating. This establishes visual access for dispatch staff or supervisors and avoids weakening the integrity of the dispatch room.

Where Bullet-Resistant Doors Are Needed in Police Stations

Main Entrances and Vestibules

As the first line of defense, a police station’s main entrance is a critical control point where initial threats can be deterred or delayed. A secure vestibule, designed as a small entry chamber between two sets of bullet-resistant doors, acts as a physical buffer between the public and interior spaces. When configured as an interlock system, only one door opens at a time, allowing staff to verify visitors before granting full access. Such vestibules are typically equipped with electronic locks, CCTV surveillance, and access control systems to support identification, screening, and emergency lockdown procedures.

Lobby-to-Secure Zone Transition

The door between the public lobby and staff-only areas is a key security barrier that should be bullet-resistant with reinforced framing and secure locking hardware. A breach at this point can expose operational spaces to risk, so the door should be installed to the same bullet-resistant and forced-entry standards as surrounding barriers.

Custody and Sally Port Doors

Transferring detainees from the sally port to processing rooms and holding cells involves a high level of risk. Doors positioned along the route, especially those at the sally port entrance and the point of entry to processing, must be durable, quick to operate, and capable of withstanding close-range ballistic threats. Installing bullet-resistant doors at each transition point helps protect officers during vulnerable moments in detainee movement.

Rear and Staff Entrances

Staff entrances, often located at the side or rear of the police station, are less visible to passersby and can be more susceptible to unauthorized access. Doors in these locations should be constructed with ballistic-rated materials and reinforced to resist forced entry. Securing staff entrance doors is particularly critical for officer arrivals and departures, a time when diminished visibility and situational awareness can heighten risk.

Building Safer Police Stations with Bullet-Resistant Windows and Doors

Ballistic protection is most effective in the areas of a police station that face the highest exposure to risk. Bullet-resistant windows and doors are key to securing such zones, strengthening safety where staff and visitors are most vulnerable. At Armortex, we design and manufacture ballistic protection systems that integrate seamlessly into police station layouts. Our bullet-resistant windows and doors are engineered to recognized standards, delivering a reliable defense and supporting the functionality and openness that police stations require. Contact us today to learn how we can secure your station.