Post Falls Police Department opens substation

POST FALLS — The Post Falls Police presence on the city's west side just got stronger.

The agency this week will finish equipping its new substation inside a room in Kootenai County Fire and Rescue's station on Seltice Way near the state line.

"Officers will have 24-7 access to the substation to complete reports, meet with victims and other duties," Chief Scot Haug said.

The police substation will not be staffed or have a front desk receptionist like the main station.

Haug said he thought about putting up a sign outside the fire station indicating the police department also has a presence at the site, but he doesn't want to give the public the impression that the substation is a place to conduct regular business.

The substation will improve police response time to the city's growing west side, he said.

"In many cases, we should be able to respond in a couple minutes instead of seven or 10 minutes if we were coming from the station on Polston," Haug said.

Haug said PFPD has explored a substation on the growing west side and, at one point, raised the idea of having it in the Walmart near Cabela's before Walmart declined that idea.

The police department will occupy the substation without having to pay rent, which is an indication of the agency's partnership with KCFR.

"This wouldn't have happened without a lot of collaboration," Haug said. "This was a low-expense option because there's no bricks and mortar involved."

KCFR Chief Warren Merritt said it makes sense to collaborate with the police department since the two agencies often converge on the same emergencies, ranging from medical calls to traffic accidents.

"We have the space (for the substation) and it's the right thing to do," Merritt said, adding the agencies have both signed a facility use agreement.

The substation was equipped with an $11,000 donation from the Greene Idaho Foundation's bingo profits at the Greyhound Park and Event Center.