St. Paul Police substation moves from Wilder to Neighborhood House
Mary Diedrick Hansen
Staff Writer
This summer the West Side police substation currently located in the Wilder Foundation/Cerenity Apartment site off Humboldt Avenue and George Street, will move to its new location at the Wellstone Center, home to Neighborhood House.
"We will move from the Cerenity site so we can be more accessible and visible," said St. Paul Police Senior Commander John Vomastek. "With problems surfacing near the Wellstone Center in District del Sol, there was a need for us to be spending more time there. There was a groundswell from the residents to move in with a bigger presence. Maybe this is better for everyone involved."
When the Wellstone Center opened in January 2006 with its four new gymnasiums, response from youth from across the city overwhelmed the center. Over 1,000 youth visited the center during the first three months. Neighborhood House Board Member Don Luna reported that many youth were from outside the neighborhood and lacked respect for rules and direction. Crowds of 30-50 youth began congregating in the streets after the gyms’ 8 p.m. closing time with some blocking traffic, swearing at drivers and making obscene gestures at them. The problem of youth "taking over" spilled into other areas of the community as well, including Castillo Park and the surrounding neighborhood. Angry residents and those feeling threatened called the police.
A "beat office" opened last spring at the Wellstone Center to maintain order in and around the facility as well as the surrounding neighborhood. Two officers have been responding to community complaints and patrolling the six block area surrounding the center in the afternoon and evening.
"We have had full-time beat officers for the last eight months and it has helped," said Vomastek. "There still is a lot of activity in the afternoons over there. With the new substation, officers can walk down Cesar Chavez and patrol the park. It will be a better physical location to find us. We will be seen and neighbors will feel safer. We need to be more visible and more interactive."
Construction on the new space started in late March, and Vomastek expects to make the move this summer. The substation will be located on the second floor of the Wellstone Center and will be accessible from the parking garage.
"It will be a nice comfortable space for people to come, and there will be no parking issues at the Wellstone location," said Vomastek.
Vomastek said there is not enough staff to operate the substation 24 hours a day. The morning shift will report for roll call at the substation. The afternoon shift will report to the Central office downtown, then head for the Wellstone Center. Staffing will include four officers and a full-time sergeant. A beat officer and other squads will also cover the West Side in the afternoon.
Residents at the Cerenity/Wilder site have said they will miss the presence of police on site.
"It’s been very good," said Vomastek. "The people have loved us there. They are so sweet. They sent me a letter that says, ‘Hey, we don’t want you to go.’ They feel safe when we are there. They’ll be fine."
Jane Bicker, housing manager for the Wilder Foundation Humboldt Apartments describes the campus as a tiny city, with nearly 500 residents from Cerenity Senior Care and Wilder Foundations Apartments and hundreds of employees coming and going at all hours of the day and night.
"The police substation has been here since 1993," said Bicker. "The resident council sent them a letter asking them to reconsider and stay. They (the residents) feel safer when they are near. I hope the police will continue to have a presence on campus and drive through on a regular basis. We’ll miss them a lot. They are good neighbors." |