‘We have grown leaps and bounds’: A look inside Wichita police’s new patrol substation
Dozens of community members toured the Wichita Police Department’s new patrol east substation at the southeast corner of Lincoln and Pinecrest after a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday.
The $10.6 million station sits at 5215 E. Lincoln, directly behind the Wichita school district’s Alvin E. Morris Administrative Center. It’s the department’s first new police station in nearly 30 years.
The station, which is up and running, is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Residents can walk in, where they will be greeted by staff member who can help them file a police report among other services.
People needing help in emergencies and after business hours can push a button outside the station.
The new substation is the culmination of input from over 200 neighborhood residents. It uses $9.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief money. The Wichita City Council approved buying the land on which the station sits on in August 2021 in 7-0 vote.
“These investments help us not only address the immediate needs of the community, but plan for the needs of our growing city,” District 3 council member Michael Hoheisel said.
Entering the station you’ll find a farm of cubicles, used by patrol and community resource team officers. Along the edges are offices reserved for sergeants. The station also has a conference room for community meetings and individual offices for lieutenants and the station’s captain, things the previous patrol east substation didn’t have.
Lt. Lenny Rose, who has been with the department for over 30 years, says the space is a major upgrade from the old station, built in 1988. Rose now has his own office, a first in his lengthy career.
“We have grown leaps and bounds, and it’s great to have our own office,” Rose said as he stood inside his office decorated with vintage automobile memorabilia.
The original patrol east substation sat at Cypress Park along Edgemoor. The station was built roughly over three decades ago and was meant to house 30 to 40 officers. It housed 100 officers by December 2022, when ground broke at the new substation.
Officials described the old station as outdated, undersized, overcrowded and just plain worn out. The new substation will house up to 150 staff members and will better support law enforcement.
It’s the first step in modernizing the police department’s substations. Ground is expected to broken for the department’s patrol west substation next to northwest High School in 2025.
“Together we are building a safer, more connected community,” WPD Chief Joe Sullivan said at the ceremony. “Thank you for your continued support and commitment.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 2:20 PM.