Recent building projects and upgrades are aimed at making Brooklyn an even safer place to live. These include the construction of a new police station and improving the fire station and its technology. “We have some of the best response times in the county for police, fire and EMS,” says Mayor Ron Van Kirk. “But the old police department facilities were dated. Now our officers are able to do their job even more efficiently. The largest investment is the brand-new police station. The city center is 57,000 square feet and 70% of the building is for the police station and mayor’s court. There’s also an animal shelter that’s part of the police station.
“We have hired three police officers in 2023 and four more will be hired early next year,” Van Kirk continues. “On the fire department side, we hired three firefighters this year, to add one additional firefighter working each shift. The city has purchased three new police cars every year for the past three [all nine are arriving at once, since during the pandemic the supply chain was disrupted], a new fire engine, and is always upgrading equipment and looking for ways to enhance services.”
Police Chief Scott Mielke echoes the mayor’s enthusiasm for the new police station, including the opportunities the building offers. “The new facility has made the department more efficient, allowing our officers more time to develop new programs and partnerships,” he says. “We have a lot of retail businesses, so working with loss prevention in our big box stores and other retailers is really important. Every three months, our detectives meet to share trends, photos, attempting to ID people. For example, Walmart might know a suspect from its store, but Menards may not realize that same suspect is causing issues at its location. These meetings help make that connection.”
Additionally, Mielke notes, there’s an increased police presence around the community. “We have a bicycle unit, and we’ve added officers to that unit. Being on the bike gets an officer out of the car and into the parks and shops and talking to people. The bicycle unit can also go into areas that would not be accessible by car.”
Fire Chief Kevin Paul is similarly optimistic about the Fire Department’s future. Specifically, the department has added staffing and is acquiring new vehicles and increasing its ability to help residents in an emergency. “We’re getting a new firetruck in late 2025 or early 2026, and are in the process of going through some ambulance maintenance. A new ambulance will be ordered in the near future.
“The department has been investing on the medical side of things as well,” Paul continues. This includes monitors for patients in the firetrucks who have shortness of breath and two mechanical CPR machines. “We’re looking really good,” he says. All the city buildings, including the recreation center, city center and the senior center have one or more AEDs. “That’s something we’re really proud of,” says Paul.
“The administration and city council have been very helpful towards us,” he adds. “They make sure we have what we need.”
