Officials Do Dirty Work for New Port Police Station

Conceptual rendering of the new port police station

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for a new Los Angeles Port Police headquarters in downtown San Pedro.

The 51,000-square-foot building at Fifth and Centre Streets will include high-tech dispatch, surveillance and emergency-operations centers for a force expected to rise to 200 officers.

The $43-million project will be completed in 2010.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Port Police Chief Ronald Boyd, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark Hamilton and Councilwoman Janice Hahn do the dirty ground-breaking work.

It will be built with a number of environmentally sustainable features, including electricity-generating solar panels and water-conserving landscaping and plumbing.

Meeting to find solutions to the recent after-hours crimes, business owners are among those looking forward to a larger police presence in the area.

The port police do not directly patrol downtown San Pedro, but business owners anticipate that the officers’ comings and goings will help deter illegal activity.

Speaking in general terms, Port Police Chief Ronald Boyd affirmed the merchants’ hopes.

“We want to be good neighbors to our port stakeholder partners, our surrounding communities and to all those who visit the port,” said Boyd. “The only ones who won’t like having us in the neighborhood are those who would bring risk or harm to the community.”