New Sheriff’s Station In East Valley Nearly Complete

A new Riverside County Sheriff’s station will soon open its doors in the east valley.

Finishing touches are being put on the facility in Thermal. It’s expected to be ready around mid-February.

The station cost around $42 million — paid for with redevelopment agency funds.

There’s plenty of space with more offices, training rooms and storage. It will also include a new forensics lab to go over evidence. An aviation unit, complete with helipad and hangers, is also a big addition.

The nearly 100,000 square-foot station is almost five times the size of the current station in Indio.

“People are excited in a way and in other ways just ready to have it done. To get the move done and be able to utilize this space that is needed and past due,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Captain Raymond Gregory.

The new station is located on Airport Boulevard. The project started back in late 2008. It was supposed to be finished by August 2010, but there were numerous construction delays.

Some area residents have been fooled by the station’s unique mission design.

“When it was under construction I would mention it to some people and they weren’t sure where it was. ‘Was it out where they were building that church?’ No, it’s not a church. It’s our new sheriff’s station. It’s a very good design — fits in well with the community and we’re very proud of it,” said Gregory.