The ribbon has been cut and construction has begun on Omaha's new police precinct building at 209th and Cumberland Drive in Elkhorn.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer led the formal ceremony. "Our community policing and our response to the community is really going to improve," Schmaderer says.
Precinct boundaries will be redrawn when the new facility is operational. Schmaderer says the SWAT Team, Traffic Unit, Bomb Squad and Emergency Response Unit will move into the new building.
The addition of the precinct is being done in conjunction with an expanding police force, which will increase to 900 officers by 2019. "Adding a new precinct and reaching 900 officers is part of our strategic plan to provide the resources our police department needs to provide excellent services throughout the city," Stothert says. "A single building designed to be the home of multiple units is a great example of how we are meeting our goals to run OPD more efficiently while being good stewards of the taxpayer dollar."
The Omaha City Council on Tuesday approved the $8.2 million bid from Construct Inc. for construction of the new facility. "It's been a long time coming to provide even coverage for our city," Schmaderer says.
The new facility is slated to open next July