Burnet police station opens on US 281
The new Burnet Police Department building includes office space, records rooms, a training room, interview rooms, evidence storage, and a vehicle bay. Staff photo by Alex Copeland
The Burnet Police Department has made its official move to its new location at 2000 U.S. 281 South, next to the Burnet Fire Department.
The department’s former location at 105 S. Rhomberg St. was initially a fire hall and later outfitted for the police department. At 1,800 feet, the former station is 9,000 feet smaller than the new 10,800-square-foot space.
The project cost about $5 million.
“The station they’re in now, they literally outgrew it about 15 years ago,” Burnet City Manager David Vaughn said of the Rhomberg facility. “They’ve been packed one on top of another for many years. We went into it wanting to make sure that we didn’t over build (the new building), but at the same time, making sure that we were planning for the future.”
The building includes office space, records rooms, a training room, interview rooms, evidence storage, and a vehicle bay. It was designed for the police force to “grow into” and meet a 20- to 30-year need.
Construction and outfitting of the new police station was delayed early on by the removal of an asbestos concrete waterline and, later, by delayed furniture deliveries due to COVID-19.
The Burnet Police Department employs 15 full-time officers, including an interim police chief, three criminal investigators, a patrol captain, two patrol corporals, and eight patrol officers. The department also employs an animal control officer and an office administrator.
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will be scheduled at a later date. The lobby is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.