Desert Hot Springs police open $7.26 million annex Tuesday. Chief Shaw: ‘They’re actually going to have their own locker room now’

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) The Desert Hot Springs Police Department will open a $7.26 million annex building Tuesday, giving officers their first locker room in years as the city moves to expand its police force for the first time in roughly two decades.

The ribbon cutting is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at 65950 Pierson Blvd., next to the department's main station. An open house will follow, and the public can tour both the annex and the main building, Police Chief Steven Shaw said.

"Most of our officers here have never even worked where they've had a locker room, and they're actually going to have their own locker room now," Shaw told News Channel 3 on Monday. "Something real basic that most police departments have."

Shaw said the department has gone without a locker room for several years because of construction. The annex also adds a training and briefing room and office space for detectives and other staff, he said.

A long wait for detectives

The city broke ground on the annex in March 2025. City officials have said the building gives detectives a permanent home after more than 14 years in temporary trailers, along with added storage and parking. It is the first phase of a planned public safety campus that is also slated to include a fire station.

The project was paid for with the city's public safety bond, federal American Rescue Plan Act money and development impact fees, according to the city.

New hires headed to patrol

The opening comes three weeks after the City Council voted unanimously Sept. 1 to raise the department's authorized staffing from 33 sworn officers to 45 over the next five years.

"You've got to have the force to be able to not be overworked," Mayor Scott Matas said of the vote.

Shaw said incoming officers are being assigned to patrol.

"The ones that are coming, they're going straight to patrol," Shaw said. "We've beefed up our patrols, our patrol staffing."

Shaw said the added patrol staffing has brought response times down.

The department has also been highlighting its training. In a Facebook post last week, the department said officers "continually train to sharpen their skills," with work ranging from firearms to tactics and decision-making.

Fentanyl still a top concern

Asked what officers are seeing on the streets, Shaw said violent crime is down and the department is focused on property crime. He said fentanyl remains the biggest drug problem in the city.

"Fentanyl is still the thing that is huge out there," Shaw said. "It's laced in almost everything."

Shaw credited residents with helping hold down burglaries and car thefts by locking their doors and vehicles.

If you go

What: Desert Hot Springs Police Department annex ribbon cutting and open house
When: 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22
Where: 65950 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs