Riverside County Sheriff's Department Moves to Station

By Jessica Flores

CREATED Feb. 22, 2012

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  • THERMAL- It's going to be easier for Riverside County Sheriff's deputies to respond to calls in the East Valley. Today, the sheriff's department moved into a new station in Thermal. Video by kmir6.com

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THERMAL- It's going to be easier for Riverside County Sheriff's deputies to

respond to calls in the East Valley. Today, the sheriff's department moved into a new station in Thermal.

 

The station is located on Airport Boulevard. It replaces the old Indio

sheriff's station on Doctor Carreon Boulevard. KMIR6's Jessica Flores

is in studio tonight with more on today's move.

 

For the Riverside Country Sheriff's Department this move from Indio

to Thermal is really about planning for the future. They estimate

the Eastern Coachella Valley will grow by one million people by

2035, and this new bigger space allows their force to grow too.

 

Riverside County officers serving the Eastern Coachella valley won't be spread out at different locations anymore, they'll be 184-officers and staff strong in Thermal.

 

Construction on the new $46 million building started in 2008. It's built with lockers, briefing rooms and offices.

 

The station takes the place of the smaller Indio station, where the department was for 20 years and with those doors now closed. The Riverside County Sheriffs will have less of a presence in Indio.

 

But Riverside County officers will still serve the unincorporated areas in the East Valley, and the cities of Coachella and La Quinta.

 

The new patrol station will be open to the public from 8am-5pm, Monday

through Friday.

 

Jessica Flores, KMIR6 News.