“You take a 10 minute response time from (downtown) and you cut it down to a two-minute response time,” he said.
Visibility is also a goal.
“If you have a substation there, and it says police on it....hopefully that deters a lot of the crime that may happen out there,” he said.
City council appropriated $130,036.69 for renovations, including the purchase of 12 lockers; new carpet and flooring; painting; lighting; and a $10,000 contingency for “any unforeseen expenses that may arise during execution.”
Roof and gutter repairs and a new digital sign for the station make up the biggest expenses, at $24,975 and $20,445 respectively.
Money from the city’s Unappropriated Property Development Fund were appropriated into the Building and Structures account for the project, according to the staff report.
Council voted 4-1 to approve money for the renovations, with Councilwoman Carter voting no, saying it could be pushed until 2026.
“We have many activities on the south end, we don’t get a response in a certain (amount) of time,” she said. “I see this as something that we can postpone until next year.”
Councilman Paul Horn said the renovations show the city is “serious about safety” and appreciated the quicker response time to the east side and added evidence storage.
“I like it when we can repurpose a building we already own,” he said.
During the April 15 council meeting, Police Chief Earl Nelson said the substation can “help make us more efficient at our job as development of the East End continues to grow.”
“There have been some concerns about our response times to that side of town coming from (the west side) of town,” he said.
Lt. Trey Porter presented plans for the substation, including how it will work as a safe and secure location for officers, especially the growing number of female officers, to use the restroom.
The substation will also work as a place for officers to take their lunch breaks; offer extra storage space for the department; and officers can complete required paperwork and have roll call on-site, eliminating the need to travel to the west side of town, according to Porter.
There will also be a breathalyzer machine at the substation so officers can test those under suspicion of a DUI instead of bringing them downtown, according to Porter.
The substation will not have a holding cell.
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