Frequently Asked Questions

The 2015 update to the Facilities Master Plan included an assessment of City facilities and recommended construction of a Public Safety Training Facility in phases, based on Sugar Land’s population growth and training standards. 

The Public Safety Training Facility was designed for the maintenance of high training standards and response capabilities. Having these facilities within city limits allows Fire-EMS and Police responders to train on duty without leaving the city, allowing them to remain available to respond to emergency calls. 

Phase I began in the fall of 2017 with the development of preliminary designs that included identifying proposed Police and Fire-EMS Department training facilities, equipment, infrastructure requirements, and their placement within the allocated site. In addition, construction of an interim gun range was identified through previous studies. This project was included in the approved FY18 budget, and the construction of the gun range was completed in 2018. Phase I of the project also included the construction of a modular fire training facility. 

Phase II of the project was included in a $90.76 million bond package approved by voters in 2019. This phase focuses on a training building and an apparatus bay/classroom building. The training building will provide police simulation training that involves close quarters, non-lethal, force-on-force practice in a short-range environment. The apparatus building will include five bays for training and department vehicles. A sixth bay will be utilized as a workshop. This will enable fire fighters to perform all training to simulate a real fire station. This space will also allow for advanced Police and Fire-EMS coordination in an indoor training environment regardless of weather conditions. Phase II construction is expected to be completed in January of 2025. 

Voters will have a choice to consider funding a third phase of the project. The proposed Phase III involves the design and construction of fire training structures for live fire training and a permanent gun range to allow indoor training.

In 2019, voters approved the construction of an Emergency Operations Center/Public Safety Dispatch Building. The building will include dispatch, the Emergency Operations Center (which can become a multi-purpose facility during non-emergencies), Information Technology workroom, parking, and more. The project had been scheduled for design in Fiscal Year 2023 with construction taking place in Fiscal Year 2024. 

A proposed project in the 2024 bond election is the construction of new Police headquarters. With the approval of the 2024 bonds, the new Police headquarters will include the already approved Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Dispatch building. Integrating these two projects into a larger facility (rather than two) will reduce construction costs.

Deferred maintenance has been identified in the building that will need to be addressed prior to any renovation work takes place. The process to determine the specific renovation work that will take place at the facility, will require consultation with the proposed Facility Master Plan - which outlines long-term strategies for maintaining, rehabilitating, and modernizing city facilities. Additionally, a detailed analysis of facilities data, including age, condition, and usage of each building will take place. Occupant input will also be a key factor, as first responders who use these facilities on a daily basis can provide valuable insights into the building’s functional uses.

At the time of its opening in 1996, the Police Department employed 105 people, including officers and civilian personnel, all housed in a facility with 53,615 square feet of space. At that time, each employee had approximately 511 square feet of space, allowing for adequate working space and conditions. Over the past 28 years, city growth has led to increased expectations for the Police Department's services and response capabilities. 

In response to changing service level expectations, the department has introduced programs and specialized units that didn't exist when the building was originally designed. A few examples follow: 

• Forensic Services Unit (FSU): Handling of all in-custody property and evidence.
• Digital Forensic Unit: Involves identifying, preserving, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence for investigations and court proceedings in nearly every crime.
• Mental Health Unit: The unit conducts follow-ups with mental health consumers, community partners, and law enforcement.
• K9 Unit: The K9 Unit is composed of handlers and canine partners specializing in patrol functions.
• Federal Task Force Officers: Several SLPD detectives are assigned to federal agencies like the FBI and ATF, as well as the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, enhancing intelligence and resource sharing through these partnerships.
• Drone Unit: The drone unit aids our operational capabilities by providing real-time aerial views valuable to documenting crime scene as well as event monitoring, risk reduction, and search and rescue.
• Special Response Teams (SRT): This team is especially trained and equipped to respond to civil disturbances and riots.
• Crime Analysts: Our crime analysts perform a variety of tasks, including data analysis, crime trend identification, crime mapping, investigative support, reporting, and intelligence collaboration with other agencies.
• Range Masters: One full-time range master and two part-time range masters develop and conduct firearms training, oversee qualifications, maintain firearms, and keep detailed training records for officers. 

The department has also incorporated Emergency Management personnel, who play a role in coordinating responses to natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies. 

 Additional square footage was added to the building in 2002, but by 2024, the department had expanded to 271 employees—more than double its workforce over the past 28 years. Despite this expansion, the Police Department’s building has not been expanded in order to accommodate staff growth. The amount of space per employee has been reduced to 198 square feet per person—a 61% decrease in available space since the building was first constructed.