Ribbon-Cutting to take place on new LaSalle Police Substation

Niagara Falls Mayor Restaino and Niagara Falls Water Board Announce New Police Substation

Agreement will improve police response in LaSalle area and increase security at Water Treatment Plant with no added cost to public.

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino and Nicholas Forster, Chairman of the Niagara Falls Water Board, announced today that a new police substation on Water Board grounds is now operational. The substation is located in a stand-alone guardhouse building at the Water Treatment Plant that once was used to house security operations. This new use was approved by the City Council and Water Board in October.

“Public safety has been a major focus of my administration, and for a long time it has been a problem that officers assigned to patrol in the LaSalle area have to travel 12 to 15 minutes each way to police headquarters on Main Street for some tasks because the City does not have a secure, access-controlled facility in LaSalle,” said Mayor Robert Restaino. “This substation, inside the Water Treatment Plant’s fenced perimeter, will provide officers with a safe place to complete paperwork, charge battery-powered devices, perform minor maintenance or organization of equipment, uniforms, or vehicles, and similar tasks, while keeping them close to
the areas where they are needed” he continued.

“The Water Treatment Plant is critical infrastructure,” noted Water Board Chairman Nicholas Forster. “This substation will bring an increased presence of police officers and police vehicles, which will help the Water Board to safeguard the Water Treatment Plant and to deter criminal activity. And the best part is, we can provide this unused space to the City for no cost to the taxpayer, and the increased protection for the Water Treatment Plant also will be at no cost to our ratepayers,” continued Forster.

“Along with our substation at the NF Housing Authority Doris Jones Center, this substation is a win-win example of different levels of government cooperating for the public’s benefit,” said Mayor Robert Restaino.

The agreement between the City and Water Board will allow City Police to park a limited number of police vehicles on Water Board property, but the substation will be sporadically staffed by officers working the LaSalle district of the City. It will not be accessible to members of the public. No witness interviews or detention of suspects are permitted to take place at the substation. All in-person police services for the public will continue to be housed at City Police Headquarters, 1925 Main Street. For emergencies, dial 911.