SAN MARCOS — Personnel with the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station will have a stronger presence in the San Elijo neighborhood after opening a new facility along Elfin Forest Road.
The San Elijo Offsite Facility — also known as the Storefront Substation — opened Oct. 2 on the second floor of the San Elijo Recreation Center at 1105 Elfin Forest Road. The city said earlier this year that the facility will serve as a “community hub for safety,” offering workshops and programs for public safety education.
As an extension of the city’s main sheriff’s station, the facility will serve the San Elijo Hills Town Center, San Elijo elementary and middle schools, San Elijo Hills Park, and San Elijo Hills Community Center.
It will also focus on trails and open spaces, high-traffic residential areas, shopping centers, transit areas, senior living communities and major traffic intersections, according to the city.
“The services within the San Elijo Offsite Facility will safeguard the San Marcos community and build trust to continue keeping our neighborhoods safe,” said San Marcos Sheriff Capt. Kevin Ralph. “The facility will offer routine patrols and collaboration with local public safety personnel to ensure the City of San Marcos is identifying and addressing potential threats to the San Marcos community.”
According to the city, the new facility was made possible through a partnership between the city, the County of San Diego and the county Sheriff’s Department. The partnership focused on community policing, crime prevention and more efficient response times.
“We appreciate the County’s support in keeping our community safe and strong by funding the upgrades to this new facility,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones. “We were proud to provide the property to the Sheriff’s department to further crime prevention in San Marcos and beyond.”
Several San Elijo residents, as well as the San Elijo Community Association board, have come out in support of increased safety measures in their neighborhood to prevent local crime.
The San Elijo Community Association Board urged the city earlier this year to approve the placement of 10 license plate reader cameras throughout the city, which they did. City leaders also agreed to enter into the Safe Cities program, allowing residents to share data from their own security cameras with the Sheriff’s Department.
