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For many, opening of police substation 'can't come too soon'

By Ilan Brat

A police substation couldn’t come too soon for west Chandler residents living in the Wild Tree subdivision.

Residents’ concerns, sparked by increased traffic around Chandler Fashion Center and recent city growth, contributed to the need for a substation in the area.

The concerns range from the need for a traffic light at Chandler Boulevard and Desert Breeze Road to speed enforcement along Desert Breeze Road.

The new substation, which will be built just south of Desert Breeze Park in two to three years, is expected to address those and other issues.

Currently, traffic on Chandler Boulevard is so heavy that turning left onto the street from Desert Breeze Road is difficult and takes a long time, Wild Tree resident Bruce Heimerich said.

To respond to the substation’s traffic needs, Heimerich said a stoplight will be placed at the intersection.

“A light there would be a very, very good thing,” he added.

Wild Tree resident Shiela Schmidt said she thinks the substation’s construction will also lessen speeding along Desert Breeze Boulevard.

Often, motorists use the road as a shortcut to avoid traffic from Rural Road to Chandler Boulevard, Schmidt said.

Children play at the park and youth sporting events are often held at the park.

“I think they need to be enforcing the speed limit, definitely,” Schmidt said.

However, the substation may also serve a purpose other than increasing speed enforcement. It might prevent crime, Heimerich said, simply by being near a neighborhood.

“I think it will act as a deterrent, if nothing else,” Heimerich said.

Overall, the substation has received a positive community response. Many feel that the sooner the substation is built, the better.

“I think it’s not a bad deal,” Heimerich said. “I think it’s a positive thing.”

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