The Folsom City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the purchase of a new building to support the growing operational needs of the Folsom Police Department. The decision comes as the department continues to outgrow its existing headquarters and seeks a permanent solution to accommodate expanding staff and rising service demands.

The newly approved acquisition includes the building located at 1 Natoma Street, across the street from the department’s current leased space at 11 Natoma Street. The 8,148-square-foot structure will be purchased for $2.7 million, with an estimated $1 million allocated for necessary interior modifications and infrastructure upgrades. The total project cost of $3.7 million will be funded through a combination of capital improvement funds previously collected to support growth-related projects in the Folsom Plan Area.

Folsom Police Chief Rick Hillman presented the staff report and detailed the critical need for the expansion, citing both population growth and the increasing complexity of modern law enforcement operations.

“The current facility is no longer large enough to house the personnel needed to provide police services to Folsom,” Hillman noted in the staff report. “Over the past several years, our city has experienced one of the most significant growth periods in its history.”

Since 2018, Folsom’s population has increased by approximately 17,500 residents—a 23 percent jump. As of March 2025, over 4,200 building permits have been issued in the Folsom Plan Area alone, with more development on the horizon. Such expansion has placed increased demands on law enforcement.

“As the population has grown, so too have traffic volumes, calls for service, and demand for law enforcement,” Hillman wrote. “To keep up, the Police Department has expanded its staffing, which quickly exceeded our existing office capacity.”

In 2023, the department began leasing office space at 11 Natoma Street to house the Neighborhood Services Unit, which includes the Traffic Bureau, School Resource Officers, the Homeless Outreach Team, the Problem-Oriented Policing Team, and Animal Control Officers. However, the recent sale of that building has forced the department to find an alternative.

“We have been notified that we need to move out of that current space,” Hillman wrote. “A separate building in that complex is available, located at 1 Natoma Street.”

Hillman emphasized the strategic nature of the purchase, explaining that the new facility would eliminate ongoing rental costs, reduce displacement risk, and allow for a custom-configured interior to support operational needs. The city also plans to make technology and security upgrades to the site.

“Ownership would provide long-term stability, protect the City from future displacement, and eliminate ongoing rental expenses,” Hillman wrote. “It would also allow us to design the interior to suit our operational needs as our services continue to evolve alongside population growth.”

The relocation would also address other challenges, particularly within the department’s main headquarters.

“Our Communications Center has outgrown its current space due to the increased volume of emergency and non-emergency calls,” Hillman wrote. “If we acquire 1 Natoma Street, we would be able to relocate the Investigations Division there, which would in turn free up space to expand the Communications Center at our main police facility.”

The move would also allow for an expansion of the Records Department and the continuation of front-counter public services at the main building.

Hillman estimated that 90 percent of the demand for the new space stems directly from the growth in the Folsom Plan Area, which has led to the addition of several new positions since 2018, including an Animal Control Officer, seven Police Officers, two Community Service Officers, a Sergeant, a Corporal, and a Communications Supervisor. The department anticipates the need for up to 25 more personnel by 2035.

He further noted that a portion of the building improvement budget would be used to establish a public-facing Police Services counter at Fire Station 34 in the Folsom Plan Area.

“A portion of the project’s improvement funds would be used to build out a small office and signage,” Hillman wrote. “The substation would be open to the public and staffed by a Records Technician or police volunteer, providing assistance with reports, questions, and potentially other City services.”

Hillman urged the City Council to act in the presented staff report, emphasizing that the current moment presents both need and opportunity. Folsom Council voted unanimously to move forward with the approval of the purchase.

“The City is at a critical decision point,” Hillman wrote. “With continued growth in the Folsom Plan Area, the upcoming loss of our leased space, and the rare opportunity to purchase a well-located facility, the case for action is clear.”

Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.