Owing to Redmond’s rapid growth, the Redmond Police Department is looking to build a new public safety headquarters.
The agency will present a report to the Redmond City Council tomorrow describing the need for a new, larger facility.
A needs assessment indicates the existing building is not meeting current demand.
Capt. Devin Lewis says there are several issues, starting with the front lobby.
“Right now, we don’t have a secure front lobby. We could have a victim of a crime coming in to make a report,” Lewis said. “We can’t guarantee them auditory privacy. We also can’t keep them safe if while there was a victim here a suspect showed up. We want to improve that and serve the community how they deserve to be served.”
Fifty-five officers and staff work in the existing 12,000 square foot police station in downtown Redmond.
That gives each about 200 square feet in which to work, well below the industry standard for spacing in police departments.
“Parts of the facility are failing,” Lewis said. “We’ve had issues with plumbing and HVAC. It just doesn’t serve the community’s interests how we’d like to.”
Another limitation is the lack of parking.
There are just 16 secure parking spaces, leaving 30 police fleet vehicles unprotected.
Captain Lewis says Tuesday’s council meeting is a step in the right direction.
“Not even a full step, kind of a half step in the process of exploring the opportunity to hopefully acquire some land and eventually use that land where we can build a new public safety facility.”
Redmond Police would like to move as soon as possible but Lewis expects the process of acquiring land and construction could take 3 to 5 years.
The project is estimated to cost $15 to $30 million and could be paid for through selling the existing building, financing, or a general obligation bond, which would require voter approval.
