Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forney police department to reach building capacity by 2028, chief warns
Summary
Police leadership told the council the existing station will reach maximum staffing capacity by 2028 and asked for design options for expansion or a new public safety campus.
Forney police officials told the City Council May 20 that the department's current building will reach its practical capacity by 2028 if staffing grows as projected, prompting council members to request detailed design and cost options for expansion or relocation.
"I'll be at capacity in that building in 2028," said the department chief, presenting a staffing and facility timeline the city first studied in 2009. The chief said the earlier facility study projected full capacity around 2029 based on population, while a 2023 staffing study incorporating call load projects 111 total staff and 69 sworn officers by 2028.
Council members and consultants discussed two primary paths: expand the existing police facility with additions and renovations, or build a new, co-located public safety complex that would house police, fire and shared emergency operations and evidence facilities. Brian Wyatt of WRA Architects said a new public-safety campus could produce "force-multiplier" efficiencies by centralizing emergency operations, evidence storage and shared administration.
Police leaders said the department currently lacks sufficient locker-room space, evidence storage and training/training-room capacity. The chief said temporary fixes have already been implemented, including repurposing back rooms and requesting renovation funds in the 2026 budget to expand dispatch and housing for traffic and records units.
Council asked staff to return with estimates showing the cost difference between an addition to the current police station and constructing a new facility, and to illustrate how a new public safety campus could free space for other municipal uses (for example, converting vacated facilities into a library or municipal offices).
Ending
Staff agreed to produce site and cost exhibits for police expansion versus a new public safety complex, including square footage, a preliminary schedule and the expected debt-service impact for the council's review.
