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The glazed donuts and purple ribbon rolled out Thursday morning as 30 or so gathered to celebrate the Redwood City Police Department’s new substation at Sequoia Station.
While the 1035 El Camino Real substation first opened in early July, the department delayed its ribbon-cutting for a date that many local officials could attend, said Lt. Jeff Clements, who manages communications for RCPD.
“Firefighters get the five-finger wave, we get the one finger wave,” Clements acknowledged. “We get a bad name for certain things, but you’d be surprised to find that a lot of people appreciate our presence here.”
One bystander coincidentally thanked the lieutenant for his service during his interview with the Pulse.
Customers at the Sequoia Station Jamba Juice attested to the greater sense of safety they felt because of the new police presence as well.
“A lot of people I know didn’t want to come to the pharmacy at CVS here for safety reasons,” Gabriela Enciso, a 50-year-old Redwood City resident, said. “We feel a lot safer now, definitely.”
The space is intended to increase police visibility to improve safety and “support the revitalization of Sequoia Station as a destination for shopping, dining and travel,” according to a press release by the police department. Police said they intend to write reports and meet with community members at the substation, and they expect their presence will reduce crime and response times as well.
That’s proven true for Little Madfish, a Japanese food joint in the shopping center.
The restaurant extended its closing time from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. a couple of weeks ago because of a greater, shared sense of safety among staff and customers, according to Cesar Caldaron, a cashier at the restaurant.
Little Madfish has had a problem with unhoused folks regularly scaring customers through the windows, coming inside to use the bathroom and sometimes stealing condiments, Caldaron said. However, since the substation opened, the restaurant has seen far fewer unhoused visitors — from “all the time” to one about every hour or two, he said.
The ceremony comes two weeks after a Redwood City man allegedly stabbed and killed 66-year-old Joseph Carreiro at the Caltrain station just a block or so away. The substation is not staffed 24/7 and was not staffed when the stabbing occured, Clements said.
In the event of an emergency, community members are encouraged to call 911, as the substation is not intended to replace traditional emergency response services.
Derek Hunter, the owner of Hunter Properties and Sequoia Station, was honored at a ceremony attended by around 30 people for securing a favorable lease deal with the RCPD. Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos had the honor of holding cartoonishly large scissors to the purple ribbon held at the entrance of the substation.
Other speakers included Redwood City Police Chief Kristina Bell and Clements, who initiated a moment of silence at the Sept. 11 ribbon-cutting for the lives lost to the 9/11 attacks.
“This partnership is a win for Redwood City,” Bell said. “By working closely with Hunter Properties, we’ve created a space that not only supports our officers but also strengthens public safety in a way that benefits the entire community.”
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