Public Safety in Redlands
Redlands is one of the few cities in the County with its own Police and Fire Departments, guaranteeing our police and firefighter/paramedics are available when needed and not diverted to service other cities. Over the years, calls for 9-1-1 emergencies and fire risks have risen, and the City has fewer police officers and firefighter/paramedics in Redlands today than 10 years ago.
Redlands Fire responded to 10,700 emergency incidents last year alone, and has had a 50% increase in calls for service since the last fire station was built. As our needs increase, ensuring the City has enough police officers, firefighters and paramedics to respond quickly is critical to maintaining fast response times.
Additionally, the City’s public safety facilities are too small and outdated to adequately serve the needs of this community. For example, Redlands Police operate out of temporary portable trailers and a building that is nearly 100 years old. There is currently no room to hire additional police officers and firefighters unless we upgrade, expand and modernize our public safety facilities.
Maintaining Local Infrastructure and City Services
The City is responsible for keeping our parks, roads, sidewalks, storm drains and other local infrastructure clean, safe and well-maintained. However, without adequate resources, the City cannot address the $5 million in traffic signal infrastructure updates needed, damaged sidewalks and curbs that need repair and other local needs around our community. When these repairs are not addressed, they become more expensive to fix in the future.
The City’s streets, sidewalks, parks, storm drains and other infrastructure require basic repairs and maintenance. When these repairs are not addressed, they become a lot more expensive to repair in the future.
Though the City has created a balanced budget every year for the past 12 years, the scope of the City’s needs is greater than the current resources available.
