Hutchins Public Safety Ribbon Cutting Marks Progress

Public Safety Building, Will Be Home To Police, Fire, Code Enforcement, and Animal Control personnel

HUTCHINS – A ribbon cutting commemorating the opening of the Hutchins Public Safety building Wednesday morning drew about 75 people including residents and elected officials.

“This is a great day that we are standing in this building that is for Public Safety. That is not the norm, but it should be the norm, that police and fire work together” said Texas State Representative Carl O. Sherman (D- 109).

Dallas County Commissioner, John Wiley Price, whose district includes Hutchins spoke as well. He talked about the important relationship of citizens and those in public safety.

“A building does not make public safety – the model for public safety is in its citizens,” Price said.

The ribbon cutting was held in the Fire Department’s apparatus bay in the new Public Safety Building at 550 W. Palestine Street.

Pastor Scott Chadwick of First Baptist Church of Hutchins opened the ceremony with an invocation. Hutchins Mayor Pro Tem Raymond Elmore gave a welcome message and former Hutchins City Administrator Trudy Lewis acknowledged the City Council, city staff and architects.

Hutchins Mayor Mario Vasquez concluded the ceremony. He said, with this new Public Safety Building police services will be improved in way of response times for those living on the west of Interstate 45.

Around 40 employees will be stationed at the Public Safety Building, including Police, Fire, Code Enforcement, and Animal Control personnel. The station is key because personnel and apparatus located there will have quicker response times to those on the west of Interstate 45. The current fire station at 1525 E. Wintergreen will continue primarily serving those east of IH 45.

Three Years and $7 Million

From inception to completion, the project took roughly three years and was financed by a Certificate of Obligation (CO) for roughly $7 million. During her speech, Lewis noted the importance of Tan Beatty, Finance Director, in improving the City’s credit rating and financial policies, subsequently allowing for the city’s first clean audit. These combined allowed the city to achieve an interest rate of less than 2% for the CO.

Plans are still being discussed for the old police department building, but staff said the current condition and layout lend itself to storage of city records.

When he spoke at the ribbon cutting Texas Senator Royce West (D-23) summed up the new building and growth in Hutchins well. “You’re sitting in a corridor, that for years, and years, and years, we have talked about growth in Hutchins… we have the inland port, we have construction going on in this city… I’m glad to be here today to help you cut the ribbon on this facility… and to further this partnership in good faith.”

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