Police Convert Storefront Into 4th Substation

It used to be a bead store. After that, a mess. But in the last five months, the Ventura Police Department has managed to turn a vacant, rundown building space on Main Street into the city’s fourth police storefront.

The official opening of the substation at 309 E. Main St. on Thursday afternoon drew hundreds of shoppers, residents and the curious to munch on cake and egg rolls.

The storefront will be open 10 hours a day, every day, and two officers will be stationed there full time. The Police Department--with the help of a $225,000 federal grant--will pay the salaries of Officers Terri Vujea and Ron Rojo, while the fund-raising efforts of the Downtown Ventura Assn. will pay the $7,000 in annual rent.

“This will act as both a police station and an information center,” Vujea said. She said the storefront will direct bicycle patrols of the area, and its mere presence should help suppress crime.

Local merchants hailed the opening of the office, which is wedged between two antiques stores and located a few doors from the Star Lounge and an adult bookstore.

“This is great,” said Chang Liampetchakul, owner of Tipp’s Thai Cuisine and provider of the day’s egg rolls. “This will help the area.”

Police officials said crime in areas surrounding the city’s three other storefronts has dropped since their openings. One is at Ventura Harbor, another is in the Montalvo neighborhood, and the third is just a few blocks from the one that opened Thursday.

But Vujea said that storefront--at Ventura Avenue and Main Street--serves the Avenue area exclusively, while her storefront will be dedicated to the downtown and Promenade areas of the city.

The Police Department is seeking volunteers to help staff the substation and assist the officers with clerical work. For more information, call 643-3007 or 339-4436.