Provincetown, Massachusetts, is a small coastal town located at the northern tip of Cape Cod. It is known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant arts scene, and welcoming LGBTQ+ community.

Provincetown has a long and rich history. It was the site of the Pilgrims' first landing in North America in 1620, and it has been a popular destination for artists and writers since the early 1900s.

Today, Provincetown is a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world. Visitors can enjoy the town's many beaches, including Race Point Beach and Herring Cove Beach. They can also explore the town's vibrant arts scene, which includes over 200 galleries and studios. And of course, Provincetown is known for its welcoming LGBTQ+ community, which makes it a popular destination for Pride celebrations and other events.

Provincetown is located on the far tip of Cape Cod and had become a seasonal tourist destination. The town’s population of about 2400 would swell during the summer and fall months and accommodate a population of about 40,000 tourists straining town services including the police department.

The town had a reputation as a destination whose visitors came to enjoy themselves, sometimes enough to merit interaction with the police department. The department was housed in a former funeral home about two blocks off the main street in town. A wood framed and shingled structure, it had been renovated multiple times to try and handle modern police functions with minimal success.

The holding cells were located in the basement and if more people were detained than there was room to handle, the overflow persons would be handcuffed to the former embalming table. The front part of the facility in the call dispatch/records space had had several localized fires due to wiring issues that did not meet code. CPS provided the town with a space needs study and looked at several sites that would be more appropriate for a law enforcement facility.