New El Paso Police Department regional command center opens

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Police Department has a new regional command center.

The department celebrated the Upper East Side Regional Command Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today.

The new command center is located at 14301 Pebble Hills Boulevard, a fast growing area that officials say has been in need of increased police presence.

Voters approved the capital to build the $39 million facility, which is the first new police regional command center to open in two decades, city officials say. The construction was managed by the City of El Paso's Capital Improvement Department. The money comes from the Public Safety Bond approved in 2019.

The new facility features administrative offices, holding cells and interrogation rooms, a municipal court bond area, and public art.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony comes as new data reveals crime has reduced 3% in El Paso since last year.