By Anita Miller
One of the most sensitive functions of a police department is dealing with the victims of crime, many of whom have undergone an experience so traumatic it changes their whole outlook on life.
But in Kyle, individuals put in that position have to suffer a further indignity — having that interaction with the KPD’s Victim Services Coordinator occur in a room where the door cannot be shut.
That’s because in the department’s current facility, which used to be a bank, the room where the often sensitive interviews occur is the old vault.
“We don’t have the combination,” Police Chief Jeff Barnett said. If someone were to shut the heavy vault door, “we would have to take the wall out.”
While the interview room inside the vault is the most dramatic illustration of a department literally “bursting at the seams,” cramped conditions prevail throughout the building of approximately 8,000 square feet.
Built as a Wells Fargo bank, the building on Front Street was later bought by Hays County, where it provided office space for the county commissioner as well as the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace and local auto registration office.
It’s been headquarters for the KPD’s approximately 65 employees for going on five years. Next month, the city council is expected to call for a November bond election to build a new facility on land now available at the future intersection of Kohler’s Crossing and Marketplace Avenue.
Barnett said the approximate six acres the city is looking at is an “opportunity to save the city under $800,000 if we move on it now.”
Though the financial details have not yet been finalized, the city estimates it would be in the mid $30 million range.
According to preliminary designs, the new facility would be about 60,000 square feet. “We would immediately need about 45,000 to 50,000 of that.” The rest, he said, “will give us some growing room.”
In addition to space for the department’s existing functions, Barnett said the new building would allow his department to add space for training and community engagement, both high on his wish list.
Right now, the city is authorized for 55 sworn peace officers. “That will continue to grow with our population,” Barnett said. Cities try to maintain a staffing of 1.5 offices per 1,000 population but Kyle is growing so rapidly it’s hard to keep up. Currently, the city’s ratio is about 1.03 officers per 1,000 residents. If the new facility is approved, it will allow the department “to focus on keeping our staffing level consistent with the population and call volume.”
While on first glance, a police headquarters in the downtown area might seem convenient, Barnett said it actually hampers response time because of the proximity to the railroad tracks, where trains can sometimes be stopped for 20 to 30 minutes.
Striving for a response time of three minutes from the time an emergency is dispatched to the time an officer arrives on scene, he said the train “has a significant impact on our ability to get throughout the city.”
The new location, he said, offers access north and south, along with quick access to Interstate 35 and “multiple routes to go east and west.”
It would also allow the department to create space for a canine unit as well as training and spaces for community engagement.
The KPD already has a Citizens Police Academy and Alumni Association but would like to add an Explorers unit and a Junior Police Academy for teenagers.
Also, it would allow Kyle officers to pursue training that would enable them to adhere to national and state standards, as well as to enhance available technology.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to get a new police department,” he said. “I can’t stress how important that is. We’ve outgrown our current facility and are looking for a really good space for all of our staff to continue to work out of — a more inviting and engaging facility. Engagement with the community is very important to us and we want to keep that as a high priority.”
As an added bonus for the future, Barnett said a new, modern, professional home will only help the department recruit new officers and civilian personnel. “It will show the community’s commitment to our staff and the importance that they place” on policing.
