North Las Vegas building new police station

The City of North Las Vegas broke ground Wednesday on a new North Las Vegas Police Department area command. The 25,606-square-foot police station is expected to expand the city’s public safety efforts.

City of North Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Richard Cherchio said the building, located on West Deer Springs Way and Harwood Creek Street, will allow the city, the council and the police department to work closely with the community. The building was planned to have a community room that can be used by the community and city council as needed.

“We’ve always promoted and believed in community policing where we have an opportunity to get in with the neighbors and have access to them — to their communities, their HOAs — and them have access to us as well,” Cherchio said. “We are not separate and distinct; we are part of a bigger community.”

North Las Vegas Police Chief Jacqueline Gravatt said the area command’s location shows that the city wants to better serve its developing communities.

“I believe it is so important that we are able to respond to our calls for service, as well as be proactive in the community with developing the relationships with the citizens and organizations that need us to be there,” Gravatt said.

The city has increased its public safety budget by $10 million and hired over 200 police officers over the past eight years. Gravatt said the city plans to have the area command fully staffed when it opens next year, and it is currently accepting job applications on its website, cityofnorthlasvegas.com.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Tmflane on Twitter.