Puyallup’s police department is moving. Here’s what to know about the changes
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Puyallup station closed April 2 at noon; new office opens April 6 at 8 a.m.
- City will lease 30-year public safety space to ease crowding and evidence strain.
- Council approved $114.5M lease in Aug 2024; lease saves $30M over 30 years.
Puyallup’s police officers are packing their bags and moving to a new office.
According to a Facebook post Tuesday from the Puyallup Police Department, the current police station, which is located at 311 W. Pioneer, will temporarily close at 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 2.
PPD will reopen public services at its new public safety building in the Benaroya Business & Technology Center on Monday, April 6 at 8 a.m., the post said. The new building is at 1015 39th Ave. SE, Suite 100.
“There is no interruption to police or emergency services,” the post said. “...The intercom boxes outside the downtown station are still active and will connect you directly with police dispatch or police Records for urgent matters.”
In a Facebook post on March 26, the City of Puyallup said there will be a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on April 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
What is the new public safety building?
According to the city’s website, the current public safety building was built in 1968 with a capacity of 23 staff. As of 2023, the police department had 95 total employees, resulting in “significant overcrowd[ing].”
“Storage for evidence and equipment is at capacity due to the lack of space available in the current building,” the website says. “As a result, property and evidence storage is spread across four separate facilities within the City, creating inefficiencies for the department. Additionally, the age of the building has resulted in an increased need for constant repairs and maintenance.”
The Puyallup City Council unanimously approved the $114.5 million public safety building in August 2024, The News Tribune previously reported. The building will lease space in the Benaroya Business & Technology Center for 30 years and remodel the existing building into a substation.
If the city were to build its own new public safety building, similar to what they’re leasing, it would have cost $149.6 million over 30 years, The News Tribune reported.
“(This proposal) saves taxpayers $30 million,” council member Jim Kastama said in an interview with The News Tribune in October 2025. “We will continue to have a presence downtown through the remodel (of the old station).”
Voters rejected the idea of building a new police station three times; once in November 2021, once in February 2022 and once in November 2023. The City Council used councilmanic bonds to fund the new lease, instead. Those are bonds the city issues onto itself. The city then makes annual payments and chips away at the debt.
News Tribune archives contributed to this story.
