Banning, Redlands police set for new quarters

RANCHO CUCAMONGA — New jail and police department facilities are set to open in a pair of Southern California communities, both connected by Interstate 10.

Redlands police, forced to evacuate its facilities at the corner of Eureka and Brookside due to a condemned building, has been operating in temporary quarters in the community’s old city hall building. Within weeks, more permanent — though still temporary — facilities will be opened on Park Street, which is located a few miles from the downtown sector.

“The plan is for the temporary facility to be used for up to five years while the city works on a permanent solution,” said Redlands city spokesman Carl Baker, who said that Fire Station 264 will be converted into a police Emergency Operations Center. “We’re looking into moving into the new facilities sometime in March.”

In Banning, where a new city hall and police department has been under construction since 2008, officials are getting set to evacuate temporary headquarters for its new permanent site. It will simply move a few blocks east, from one Ramsey Street address to another.

“We’re set to move sometime in March,” said Banning records supervisor Stephanie Colbert. “We’ve got a lot to move – all our records, computers, everything. It’ll be very interesting.”

Banning and Redlands are approximately 20 miles apart on I-10. Both communities are under different circumstances regarding police facilities. Banning’s new complex came as a result of bond issues passed in 2007, officials said.

Unlike Banning, which is moving into state-of-the-art facilities, Redlands is headed for more permanent facilities, though it won’t be permanent.

At the old Redlands City Hall, which was not designed for criminal bookings and holding, only an open door separated victims and those charged with crimes. Officials said that some criminals, while shackled in handcuffs, walked out of the building when officers were called away to other tasks.

Compared to Redlands, Banning was in better circumstances for its officers. Its jail was sound, allowing prisoners to be kept secure. Redlands hired an agency to transport prisoners to county jail in Rancho Cucamonga, which is located about 25 miles west.