$5 million for new WPD headquarters

The city has been awarded $5 million for the development of a new Wasco Police Department station, which will be built at the current Kern County Sheriff’s Office substation site.

Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains led the effort to secure the funding in the state budget for direct investments to improve public safety and the quality of life for residents of Kern County.

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado also strongly advocated for the funds.

The funding also included $5 million each for the construction of a new police station in McFarland.

"We ask our police officers to do so much for our communities, but too often, the police stations they work out of are outdated and insufficient for the job," Dr. Bains said.

"I am proud to give something back for their service. The officers in McFarland deserve this. As the City of Wasco recruits and hires its new police force, I hope the promise of a new police station will help attract the best and brightest to serve the city."

Chief Charlie Fivecoat said, "We are so excited to receive $5 million for a new Wasco police station. The city government infrastructure was built in the 1940s, and we have truly outgrown the space available for the new police organization.

"Creating a new Wasco police department has truly been a collaborative effort, and we want to assure everyone that we are working hard to provide the citizens of Wasco with a professional Police Department. We will create a culture that values all of our citizens, and we will work diligently to earn the trust of our community."

Councilmember Gilberto Reyna pushed behind the scenes to get the money for the city.

"Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains and Senator Melissa Hurtado listened to my request to fund a new police station for our soon-to-be-implemented Wasco PD. They worked hard to secure $5 million for our city in this year's state budget battle," Reyna said.

"They are true champions for underserved, disadvantaged communities like ours. I'm grateful for their commitment and effective representation. The $5 million will help our municipality construct a state-of-the-art police station that will serve Wasco for generations, and I can't thank them enough."

Mayor Vincent Martinez said, "It's going to go a long way towards providing a location for our Police Department to operate from. I want to thank Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains and Senator Melissa Hurtado for advocating for Wasco and the North County.”

The City of Shafter also received $6 million to build a new substation to be located at the Gossamer Grove development.