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New Downtown Police Station Open for Business

Alex Crichton
/
WXXI

Officials cut the ribbon today on the Rochester Police Department's new Downtown Detail Office.

It's located on the North Clinton Avenue side of the Sibley Building.

Mayor Tom Richards says it's the first downtown RPD office since 1981, and by opening it, the city is responding to an increasing demand for police service, with some fifty thousand people in the area on a daily basis.

Capt. Pete Leach will command the new detail.

He says their main focus will be on quality of life issues and crime in the downtown area.

He admits the crime rate downtown is low, but they plan to keep it that way.

Thirty nine permanently assigned officers will be available.

Office hours are 930 to 5 Monday through Friday, while the officers will serve daily from 7 am to 7 pm.

In addressing the concern over the lack of neighborhood police stations, Mayor Richards says the needs of downtown are much different than the needs of other neighborhoods, and you can't treat everybody the same.

He adds they're making a statement with the opening of the new downtown office that "Rochester's downtown will be successful.

Developer WinnCompanies and the DeMarco Group collaborated on the project.

Here's video of today's ribbon cutting ceremony:

http://youtu.be/P8OTsY4-cYo