Fresno leaders have officially announced the location and boundaries of a new central policing substation for the central part of town.
Stretching from Golden State Boulevard to First Street and Ashlan to Belmont, the new Central Policing District will be headquartered at the Manchester Mall and will house 90-to-100 officers.
The district is being re-opened after recession-era budget cuts forced its closure.
Residents have been clamoring for a new substation, saying they have experienced an increase in crime.
Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer says the new station should improve safety and reduce police response times.
“It is also going to allow for officers that are working in each of these districts to be more intimately familiar with the sectors within their district. More intimately familiar with the residents as a result of the smaller districts and sectors,” Dyer says.
Dyer says they were never able to find affordable space immediately in the Tower District and that the mall’s property management company is offering room rent free.
The lease still requires the approval of the Fresno City Council.
