SAN ANTONIO – Just down the street from the St. Mary’s Strip is San Antonio police’s newest substation. On Saturday, the department showed off its new facility to its new neighbors.
“This is going to put a lot of uniforms in an area that’s rapidly growing,” said Captain Justin Good, the commander over the St. Mary’s substation. “I think the density we have within our, our current geographical footprint is going to be unmatched anywhere in the city.”
The staff housed in the 24,000-square-foot facility will cover all of downtown, extending north past Basse Road.
“This has our patrol officers, our SAFFE officers, our domestic violence detectives, and our Metro Health caseworkers,” said Good.
Construction began in January 2023 at the cover of St. Mary’s and Locust. It’s part of the 2017-2022 bond project.
Good said the $22 million facility is the department’s first substation built since the 90s.
“We’ve never had one before, and I think it’s good for the community because of all of the growth,” said Rosemary Martinez, who grew up in the neighborhood.
She remembers when the site of the substation used to be a lumber yard.
Like the area around it, Martinez has seen the needs evolve and says the new substation is a welcome addition.
“I think this will help with the response time,” she said. “They are good at responding quickly as it is.”
The substation is a short walk from the St. Mary’s Strip, and Good said neighbors have raised concerns about crime there.
“We’ve been working for quite a while now, several days a week, on the St. Mary’s strip,” he said. “And the problem has got a lot better over there.”
Diana Trevino lives on the same street as the new facility. She has had concerns about the Strip and is hopeful that the added police presence will make a big difference.
“I think I’m going to feel a lot safer knowing that they’re here on St. Mary’s,” she said. “Because if anything happens, they’ll be there.”