SPI Insights

New funding is flowing to local governments for upgrading public safety infrastructure

We are living in historic times, and we are fortunate to be able to participate in the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure. The funding that has been made available and the projects that are being launched will be written about and studied for decades to come.

All of the country’s infrastructure networks are getting attention and that includes the public safety sectors. Just recently, the White House reported that $10 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding has now been allocated to public safety. This is one of the largest single-year commitments of federal money ever made available for state and local law enforcement initiatives. At the same time, state leaders are also allocating funding for public safety efforts and citizens are approving bond funding to support local safety projects. There is no shortage of funding options for public officials who are committed to upgrading and enhancing public safety.

Cities and counties have funding now that allows them to pursue more efficient, integrative, and adaptable ways to enhance public safety and law enforcement services. It is obvious that many community officials will begin by building new public safety facilities and consolidate police, fire, EMS, and all other first responders.

A recently announced White House initiative, the Safer America Plan, ensures even more financial support for enhancing public safety. Beginning in 2023, this new program will invest approximately $35 billion in support for law enforcement and crime prevention. The examples of some of the first new projects being launched provide a quick look at what can be expected in the next several years.

Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, have announced plans for a new Criminal Justice Complex that will replace an aging detention center that is no longer adequate or efficient. The concept design includes a central processing space that will accommodate arrestees up to 72 hours. It also includes space for district court commissioners, health and human services, pre-trial work, public defenders, and law enforcement administration staff. The project, which carries a cost estimate of $78.7 million, will launch in 2023.

Earlier this summer, residents of Kerrville, Texas, voted to issue bonds to fund a new 69,000-square-foot public safety facility. The $45 million facility will house the Kerrville Police Department, administrative offices of the Kerrville Fire Department, a municipal courtroom, and an emergency operations center—all of which will be outfitted with modernized equipment and technology. The project will launch in 2023.

Officials in South Dakota’s Clay County also plan to consolidate several public safety divisions in a new local public safety facility. A partnership with the city of Vermillion has been solidified and city and county officials will work together to design the facility. Planning documents outline conference and training units, shared evidence rooms, an armory, and video conferencing space for virtual court proceedings. The facility is expected to cost approximately $18 million.

Officials in Lake County, Ohio, recently approved funding for a new public safety center to replace an existing jail facility that has become too old to maintain or renovate. County leaders will oversee construction of a facility to house the county sheriff’s office, local road patrol, corrections officers, and court services. It will also incorporate county resources and detainee intake services. A more detailed timeline and budget for the project is anticipated in 2022.

In Indiana, Monroe County’s critical need for improved jail facilities will be addressed. A recent report pointed to high risk for liability related to the safety of inmates, staff, and visitors. The immediate plan is to replace the county’s justice building where a prison is currently housed. An initial $10 million is available to purchase an 87-acre site for the replacement facility. Between now and the construction launch, county officials will explore the possibility of adding a juvenile center to the same campus.

Officials in Otsego County, Michigan, will oversee construction of a public safety facility that provides administrative offices for the sheriff’s office, space for road patrol staff, and a detention facility. The 31,000-square-foot building has an estimated price of $34.2 million.

The city of San Luis Obispo in California is in the design stage of a large public safety center project to replace an extremely outdated police station. The new building will offer 37,800 square feet of administrative, training, and storage space for not only the city’s police department, but also an emergency operations center. The project’s preliminary design also includes a community meeting room. The $52 million project will emerge from its design phase in 2023 and construction will launch in 2024.

Commissioners in Benton County, Oregon, plan to completely overhaul the existing criminal justice system and will begin by developing a community safety and justice campus. The $167 million plan outlines a centralized site with new facilities to house each of the county’s public safety elements. Facilities currently planned include a new district attorney’s office, courthouse, correctional facility, sheriff’s office, and a center for emergency operations. One of the larger construction projects, a $50 million courthouse, could be launched before the end of 2022.

These trends highlight the way cities and counties are likely to use the new funding to reshape public safety infrastructure. The demand for architectural, engineering, construction, and technology services will be high and there will be great need for land development, equipment purchases, and all types of security enhancements.