The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is planning a $15 million substation in Falcon to serve the rapidly growing area of the county.

Undersheriff Jeff Kramer told the El Paso County commissioners that he expected the new building and staff would help deter crime and allow for additional enforcement as deputies were coming and going.

“It creates a natural ability and quite frankly opportunity and duty for those resources to be acting on crimes that they see,” he said.

He also expected the building could ensure sheriff’s deputies respond to crimes faster in the northeast communities of the county, such as Black Forest to the north and northeast and Woodmoor to the north. The Sheriff’s Office expects to track progress on response times in that area, he said.

The commissioners praised plans for the building that will be paid for out of the Sheriff’s Office budget, without the need to increase taxes.

“We are not asking for additional funds, but we are going to see additional value and public safety and security,” said Commissioner Carrie Geitner, who represents the Falcon area.

The plans and cost estimates for the substation have evolved since former Sheriff Bill Elder presented more conceptual ideas for it in 2022. At the time, he was pleased the Falcon Fire Protection District had agreed to donate land for the station across from Falcon Fire Station No. 1 near Meridian Road and Stapleton Drive.

The nearly complete building design now anticipates two holding cells, room for interviews, evidence storage and other work space for deputies. The building will also have a community room that will be available for public events, a presentation showed. The county expects to break ground on the 10,224-square-foot building in September and complete it next year.

The county expects the bond sales to finance the building to take place in April, county Finance Director Nikki Simmons said. The county’s high bond rating will also help ensure a low interest rate on the debt the county expects to pay back over the next 20 years, she said.

The cost estimates for the building also have built-in contingency to deal with unanticipated costs, she said.

Black Forest resident Marta Constable said she thought the proposed location sounded “perfect,” and she hoped the increased presence of law enforcement, hopefully around the clock, would help deter crimes residents talk about constantly on social media, such as car break-ins and thefts.

“The biggest concern with everybody around here is they feel violated once somebody tries to do something,” she said.