Puyallup, WA – The City of Puyallup and the Puyallup Police Department are hosting a community meeting to update residents about the Public Safety Building project on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The meeting will be held at the Puyallup Public Library at 3 p.m.
At the meeting, staff will give a presentation on the project’s status, including a new proposed location for the Police Station and a remodel of the existing building. Staff and City Councilmembers will be available to answer questions. Questions and feedback are highly encouraged from attendees.
In 1968, the current Public Safety Building was established downtown at 311 W Pioneer Avenue. At the time, Puyallup’s population was roughly 14,000. The facility was built based on the city’s population size and law enforcement service needs, which was approximately 23 police staff. The Jail was attached to the facility and was designed to hold 21 inmates.
In this 56-year time frame, Puyallup’s population has grown to over 43,000. To meet the demands of this increase in population, the Police Department has grown to staff 68 police officers and approximately 100 total employees. The Jail now holds 52 inmates and is in desperate need of a remodel. This has created issues with officers performing their duties due to overcrowded and inadequate workspace. Storage for evidence and equipment is at capacity due to the lack of space available in the current building. As a result, property and evidence storage is spread across four separate facilities within the City, creating inefficiencies for the department. Additionally, the age of the building has resulted in an increased need for constant repairs and maintenance. In summary, the building has outlived its useful life and can no longer serve the needs of the Police Department and the community.
The Public Safety Building project was put before voters on the November 2023 ballot. The bond measure did not meet the 60 percent yes vote criteria to pass. Since then, the City has been working diligently on a new, more cost-effective plan for the project. At the meeting, the City will debut this plan.
To learn more about the Public Safety Building project, please go to our website page.
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