A memo from Dayton police Chief Kamran Afzal says constructing and opening a new police station at this location would be a strategic investment in public safety that helps with downtown visibility and revitalization.
“This proposed acquisition aligns with broader goals to modernize police infrastructure, address crime concerns and support economic development in the urban core,” his memo states.
The Dayton Police Department divides the city into three zones, and downtown is part of the Central Business District. Right now there is no traditional police station in downtown; the Central Business District’s headquarters is at 248 Salem Ave., in northwest Dayton.
The Public Safety Building is on West Third Street downtown, but it serves as Dayton Police’s administrative headquarters, not a police station.
The proposed site of the downtown station is about a block from the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority’s downtown transit center and the Levitt Pavilion Dayton.
Crime, violence and disruptive activities around the downtown bus hub have been issues for years. Lisa Wagner, executive director of the Levitt Pavilion Dayton, recently talked publicly about crime and problems near the outdoor music venue.
Wagner said the Levitt will not be sustainable and downtown will be a ghost town if crime problems are not fixed.
The Vex/Diner and the power house properties also are just a few blocks from the Oregon District. Business leaders in the district recently have asked the city to put a more visible police presence in downtown’s longtime entertainment district.
The Dayton Police Department also is building a new station in West Dayton at the Wright factory airplane site, along West Third Street.
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