Stanislaus County moves ahead with plans to restore sheriff substation in Salida
The Salida community could have a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department substation again by the middle of April.
Officials with the county and Salida Fire Protection District said Tuesday a temporary substation will use space at the downtown Salida fire station, at Salida Boulevard and Broadway Avenue.
The Sheriff’s Department will assign five deputies and a sergeant to the substation. Under a long-term plan, the downtown fire station could become a public safety center combining law enforcement and fire protection services.
The details were presented at the Salida Municipal Advisory Council meeting Tuesday.
Salida had a sheriff substation until county budget cuts stemming from the Great Recession eliminated the substations in unincorporated communities in Stanislaus County more than a decade ago.
County Supervisor Terry Withrow said the Salida substation is the first one being restored.
“We have waited a long time to have the resources to do this,” Withrow said. “We have the funding and now we have the personnel.”
The county’s final budget for this year included $772,400 in appropriations for restoring the Salida substation, including the six positions and four vehicles. The ongoing annual cost for the six additional positions is $900,000, a budget report said.
Withrow said the downtown location will project a law enforcement presence to people coming into town off Highway 99.
The supervisor said he supports the same location as a permanent site for a sheriff and fire service center. The designs for the improvements are underway, Withrow said. The permanent center will require approval from the fire district board and county Board of Supervisors.
Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said the downtown fire station provides visibility and is centrally located for going back and forth between the two sections of Salida on either side of Highway 99.
Dirkse said the substation should be fully staffed by mid-June.
The county is doing a cost assessment on building facilities for a permanent substation at the downtown fire station or the Salida library.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
