Mesa opens 33,000-square-foot police building for evidence storage

The city of Mesa opened a new 33,000 square-foot police building for evidence storage last week.

The facility, 154 N. Robson next to Mesa Police Headquarters, will help the Mesa Police Department store its near 55,622 items of evidence the department receives every year. The facility was funded from 2019 and 2022 public safety bonds as well as money from the Public Safety Sales Fund Tax and the General Fund.

“Equipping our police officers with the necessary tools to perform their duties effectively remains a top priority for Mesa,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles. “The new Police Property Building reinforces our commitment to maintaining standards of excellence in evidence handling and storage as our city continues to grow.”

According to a press release from the city, the Mesa Police Department currently stores about 390,000 items of evidence in its general storage and around 60,000 items in its freezer. The press release said the size of the new property building will take into consideration current items as well as future growth of the city and should be expected to meet the needs of the department for the next 20 years.

“This state-of-the-art storage facility is dedicated to the responsible and accountable control of all evidence, including found and safekeeping property, ensuring that every item is preserved and kept safe with the integrity required by the judicial process,” said Police Chief Ken Cost. “In 2023 alone, our evidence section received 56,253 items, underscoring the critical need for this modern, secure facility.”