NILES, Ohio (WKBN) — The Niles Police Department has established a permanent presence at the Eastwood Mall in Niles.

A substation opened there on Friday. Niles police officers now have a place to work when responding to calls in and around the Eastwood Mall.

“It’s a wonderful thing for the city. It’s a great thing for the Eastwood Mall. I’m happy to have it,” said Chief Jay Holland.

The 1,112-square-foot space is being made available as part of a partnership between the mall and public safety forces. City leaders and mall officials gathered on Friday for a ribbon cutting of the new facility located in the mall’s food court.

“It will be a place where we will be in and out of regularly, and it will increase our presence here in the mall area,” said Capt. John Marshall.

Holland said no officer will come off of street patrol to man the station.

“This is just for us to come and complete our paperwork and be present at times when we’d be here anyway,” he said.

The Cafaro Company provided police with the renovated space and a parking spot out front.
Holland says all the department had to do was purchase a few chairs and some equipment.

“For a minimal cost, we’re doing all this enhancement to the safety of our largest retail area. It’s a no-brainer,” Holland said.

Cafaro Company Spokesman Joe Bell says there have been talks of adding a police substation to the Eastwood Mall for at least a decade. It’s something the company has done at other mall properties and has seen much success.

“The public gets a sense of security seeing those cruisers out there on the curb, knowing that these people are just doing their job and keeping an eye on what’s happening, keeping an eye on the commercial space, keeping an eye on traffic. We hope that the public takes it that way,” Bell said.