KALAMAZOO, Mich. — In hopes of building a safer community, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety opened a new substation in the heart of the city. The plan is to increase police presence in the downtown community.
Police Chief David Boysen, Mayor David Anderson, and many city officials came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon.
"We haven't had a presence downtown since 2017," Chief Boysen said. "We respond to calls and we do foot patrols, but there's something to be said about having a physical presence in a station where people are coming and going."
The new hub is 716 square-feet. While it's a bit smaller than the average one-bedroom apartment, the impact is expected to be big.
"This substation is good for the entire community, the businesses, and the local residents just to kind of, for our presence to be down here, kind of at least deters things right off the bat with just our presence alone," Sgt. Andrew Werkema told FOX 17.
Since 2017, Werkema says there has been an uptick in crime and different issues around the mall. He also says that the new substation will help limit that.
"It gives us that direct access, direct contact that, that there's no time wasted when we're right here and we can respond immediately. If somebody calls from the bus station, we're literally half a half minute away."
The community policing unit, officers designated to each neighborhood in the city, and the community service team that works with the unhoused population will utilize the space.
Mayor Anderson says that while the city still has a long way to go in combating crime, this is a step in the right direction.
"My hope for the future of Kalamazoo is that this is a place where people can feel safe and supported so they can literally live their dreams," he said.
The substation will be open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
