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By Ayden Runnels
Las Vegas Sun
NORTH LAS VEGAS — The North Las Vegas Police Department gave city officials a preview of the new North Central Area Command police station Wednesday, emphasizing the facility’s “state-of-the-art” capabilities and an opportunity for further expansion.
The station, which is still under construction and is expected to be completed by late April, is “built for growth,” North Las Vegas Capt. Mario Perez said during the tour. The design of the building allows for it to be expanded as both the department and the city grow.
North Las Vegas has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country in recent years, ranking fifth in population growth in 2022, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“This is part of our goal of keeping our momentum going in the city,” North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown said before the tour. “It will bring that much-needed comfort and safety to our residents in this area.”
Perez led the mayor and several city councilmembers on a guided tour of the over 25,000-square-foot facility. The building is mostly completed and is awaiting the installation of final elements and electronics, such as desk computers.
The new facility will house a gym for strength and cardio for officers, a cooled evidence hold for materials collected by officers, offices for police supervisors, and briefing and interview rooms.
One of the new additions other city stations do not have is the mobile command center garage. The mobile command center is a large, RV-like vehicle that police use to set up areas of command during certain incidents. Previously, the department had to park the vehicle outside or at other buildings. The garage will allow it to be stored indoors, maintained more acutely and be integrated into station activities, Perez said.
The new station will be the third command center for North Las Vegas Police.
Over 70 officers will be stationed there, and Perez said the department has been working on a years-long, national recruitment effort to staff the facility. The new station will also be the new center for police volunteers in North Las Vegas , allowing them to coordinate in one central location with police.
The previous station was completed in 2004, and Perez said the road to completing the new station was offset by several obstacles over the years, mostly economic hurdles. But with North Las Vegas expanding rapidly, Perez said the station is a welcome and necessary addition.
“It’s exciting, right?” Perez said. “It’s like kind of getting a new car. So, this is kind of like getting the new Lambo.”
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