Month: September 2026

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Desert Hot Springs Police Department has officially opened its new $7.26 million annex, giving officers and detectives additional space as the city prepares to expand its police force in the coming years.

City leaders, police officers and community members gathered Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the new facility.

The annex will house the department’s detectives and community response team (CRT) and includes new locker rooms, additional workspace and upgraded technology. Mayor Scott Matas said the investment comes after the city’s existing police facilities became increasingly crowded.

Police Chief Steven Shaw said officers had been without locker rooms for about three years, making even basic parts of their workday more difficult.

“It’s amazing how a simple thing, like just coming in and being able to hang up your vest and hang up your gun belt and have a place to put that is huge for an officer,” Shaw said.

Beyond providing additional room, Shaw said the annex includes technology that will allow the facility to be used as an emergency operations center.

The technology also provides dedicated space for recorded interviews and interrogations, giving investigators additional tools to conduct their work.

Shaw said the department’s previous space constraints could also take a toll on officers over time.

“We run out of space so everybody’s shoulders, shoulders and elbows together and stuff like that trying to get work done,” Shaw said.

He said the new building represents a commitment from the city to provide officers with the resources and space they need.

The opening comes as Desert Hot Springs prepares for another major change within its police department.

Matas said the city has committed to adding 10 more police officers over the next five years. The mayor said the city plans to add officers incrementally through future budgets.

City leaders say that expansion is tied in part to Desert Hot Springs’ continued growth.

“When you grow, you’ve got to have a safe community, right?” Matas said. “So you grow your fire department, you grow your police department to make sure that those services are kept up.”

The mayor said the city’s focus on public safety has also included opening a new fire station and increasing firefighter staffing.

For the police department, however, approving additional positions is only part of the challenge.

Shaw said Desert Hot Springs is competing with law enforcement agencies throughout the Coachella Valley, Riverside County and California for applicants.

He believes the new annex could become part of the department’s recruiting pitch, giving prospective officers a look at the resources and workspace available to them.

“This allows us to showcase Desert Hot Springs and what we have here,” Shaw said. “And it’s going to draw on those applicants.”

For Desert Hot Springs resident Daniel Medina, the opening is a milestone he said he has advocated for since moving to the city about eight years ago.

Medina said he has noticed a greater police presence in the community compared with when he first moved to Desert Hot Springs and hopes the continued investment will make residents feel safer.

Matas said the annex is ultimately intended to serve both officers and the public, including giving residents additional space to work with detectives when reporting or following up on crimes.

The city plans to continue adding officers over the next several years as the department works toward its staffing goal.

INDIO, CA (KESQ) – The Indio Police Department will host two community presentations this week to provide residents with information about Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras and their use in the community.

Indio Police held its first presentation on Tuesday, where police demonstrated a step by step walkthrough of what using the ALPR software looks like, giving residents a full transparent look at what goes on behind the scenes

Prior to the presentation, Chief Brian Tully noted before it started the importance of working with the community to find balance between residents and the police department.

“We’re in partnership with our community because this is technology that enhances our ability to do the job, but it also is important that the community understands what it is. We’re always interested in using technology for good and to balance the privacy issues with public safety,” Tully said.

Indio resident Richard Davis, who attended Tuesday’s presentation, said it was a great way for him to understand the full extent of what these cameras are doing in the city he calls home.

“All I knew was it was supposed to be something to help prevent crime in the city. Now I know exactly what it is. Like I said, it reads the license plate, usually the rear license plate of a vehicle going through past the camera,” Davis said.

Another presentation will be held on Thursday, September 24, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Public Safety Services Building Multipurpose Room, 46835 Bristol Street, Indio.

Residents are encouraged to attend and learn more about the technology and its role in local public safety.

The community meetings come a week after the Indio’s Chief of Police Brian Tully gave a presentation on the use of ALPR cameras within the city during the city council meeting on September 16th.

Chief Tully gives a presentation on ALPR cameras and the use of the technology during the City of Indio’s council meeting, September 16th 2026

Chief Tully noted the first ALPR camera in the city of Indio was installed in September 2022, and at the moment the city has over 72 ALPR cameras. “We evaluated the tech and found that is was a beneficial tool to solving crime,” said Chief Tully. During the presentation, Chief Tully highlighted moments the camera tech has been utilized to solve crimes or assist during investigations, and noted that the data collected is retained for 30 days then deleted.