On Tuesday September 22, the City of Spokane held a socially distanced celebration of the relocation of the downtown Spokane Police Precinct. This will be the third home of the police precinct since first opening the outpost of the Spokane Police Department downtown in 2013.
Not only is the new location more centrally located, with convenient access to downtown’s most densely populated hub for commerce and visitors, the remodeled space can accommodate up to 25 officers and two behavioral health specialists with room for growth. Officers, who once shared a small bathroom in the precinct location at the Spokane Intermodal Center, most well known to Greyhound and Amtrak riders, now have men’s and women’s lockers rooms, designated meeting areas, offices, and individual cubicles.
The move was supported by Spokane City Mayor Nadine Woodward, City Council President Breean Beggs, and Council Member Lori Kinnear, who emphasize community policing as the goal for the expanded precinct. The new location will allow for officers to increase foot and bike patrols and serve as the command center for large scale downtown events such as Bloomsday, Hoopfest, the Lilac Parade and more.
Unbudgeted expenses included furnishings to accommodate the expanded officers in the larger space. Through a newly established development fund, created by the Downtown Spokane Partnership, businesses and community members made cash and in-kind contributions, which was then facilitated by DSP staff to make the furniture purchases.
The precinct project was the first of what the DSP hopes will be many projects of the development fund that contribute to the vitality, safety and growth of downtown Spokane.
Thank you fund contributors:
MAJOR
- SCAFCO
- Washington Trust Bank
- NAI Black
- Kershaws Office Supply
- Avista
- Clear Story Investments (The Peyton Building)
- 4 Degrees Real Estate
- STCU
CONTRIBUTOR
- Wheatland Bank
- RenCorp Realty
- Mark Richard
- Roy Koegen
- Susan Horton
- Gordon Hester
SUPPORTER
- Betsy Cowles