Dayton Opens Downtown Police Substation With 30 Officers
Dayton opened a temporary police substation downtown on May 4, giving the department a dedicated location for patrol operations at 30 S. Main St. Thirty officers are assigned to downtown patrol work, including one officer focused on mental-health and homelessness issues.
The facility is intended to support safety and crime-prevention work in the downtown district. The opening restores a dedicated police location downtown as the city prepares for a permanent Central Patrol District station expected by 2029.
A temporary base for downtown patrols
The substation is an operating location for Dayton Police officers serving downtown. It does not create a new police district, but it gives the assigned patrol operation a facility in the area it serves.
The city said downtown has added thousands of residents and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment since the period when the area last had a police station. Dayton had not had a downtown police station since 2012, according to the city’s announcement.
That development has increased the importance of downtown services for residents, businesses and visitors. The staffing plan also includes a specific focus on mental-health and homelessness issues through the assigned officer whose work covers those concerns.
Lease runs through January 2029
The temporary facility is being operated under a city lease that runs through Jan. 31, 2029. The lease totals $300,494, with monthly payments of $8,347.
The lease period reaches into the same year identified by city officials for a permanent Central Patrol District station downtown. The temporary facility therefore provides the current downtown base while the city’s longer-term station plan remains ahead.
The city has not stated the final cost or construction schedule for the permanent station. The 2029 target describes the expected timing for that facility, not a completed or fully funded project.
What the opening changes
For downtown patrol operations, the immediate change is the availability of a dedicated police facility at 30 S. Main St. The city’s plan places 30 officers within that downtown assignment and adds specialized attention to mental-health and homelessness issues.
The new substation is part of a broader effort to match police operations with a downtown that has experienced residential growth and major investment. Its location also puts the temporary facility within the district where officers are assigned to conduct patrol and crime-prevention work.
The opening announcement did not report post-opening crime results or calls-for-service data. As a result, the substation’s effect on crime or police activity cannot yet be measured from the information released about the opening.
The next major milestone identified by Dayton officials is the planned permanent Central Patrol District station by 2029. Until then, downtown patrol operations will work from the leased temporary location, with the current agreement scheduled to continue through January 31, 2029.
Sources
- Downtown police sub-station opens, City of Dayton
- Dayton approves lease for temporary downtown police substation, Dayton Daily News
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