Detroit Police Department’s New 8th Precinct Station Broke Ground

By Alexandra Pacurar

Detroit Public Library’s Redford Branch building

Detroit—The Detroit Police Department’s (DPD) plan to transition from large police patrol districts to smaller neighborhood precincts has reached its implementation stage with the construction of the new 8^th Precinct Station. The $7.3 million project, located at 21555 West McNichols Road, broke ground at the end of June and should become operational this time next year.

“This is important because it will allow for improved response times, as well as better community engagement and partnerships,” James Craig, Detroit Police chief, said in a prepared statement.

The new precinct will be made up of two buildings. The first structure, which will house the primary precinct headquarters, is an old high school annex that was turned into a school for children with special needs. It eventually closed in 2013. The second building is the former Redford Branch of the Detroit Public Library which will be transformed into the Detroit Police and Community Outreach facility.

The new 8^th precinct police station will feature an 85-space parking lot (33 public and 52 secured), a 2,000-square-foot multi-purpose room for community outreach, a 200-seat auditorium for DPD Police Academy graduation ceremonies and community outreach programs, new locker rooms, a fitness center, and a 350 kw generator to power the entire facility.

The new police station will house 126 department members, after more than a decade in which the area did not have a designated precinct. In 2005, the 8^th precinct closed its doors to merge with the 6^th precinct, as part of a larger citywide district model. The move resulted in increased travel and response times. Now, as Detroit has regained some of its economic stability, the police chief decided to return to the neighborhood-focused precincts.

Image via Google Street View