Police chief unveils new headquarters for ‘booming' Celina; talks growth, crime, mental health

The Celina Police Department invited reporters to tour the city’s new state-of-the-art police headquarters, designed to expand right along with a community growing at a record pace.

The $37 million public safety campus is Celina’s largest project to date, according to the city.

Located on Punk Carter Parkway and Coit Road, the project was funded by voter-approved bonds and city funds.  

“It feels great. It’s been a long time coming,” said Celina Chief of Police John Cullison. “Like any other business, you want your staff, your officers to have they can work from they can be proud of.”

According to the city, 27 acres were acquired for the project in 2019. The project would move headquarters out of the old downtown building that previously housed a church.

According to the city, Celina's police headquarters will eventually grow to 75,000 square feet and include a space fortified to withstand an EF-5 tornado.

The main building’s lobby features high-tech security measures while hoping to convey a welcoming environment through natural light, wood accents, and two large wall art installations made up of live moss illustrations of the city’s water tower and the department’s Longhorn logo.

The city emphasized ‘officer wellness’ in the project.

“When you go to a scene where someone is injured or maimed in an accident, or someone’s the victim of domestic violence or assaulted out on the street, there’s a lot of human emotion,” said Cullison. “Subsequently, that bleeds back into our officers, and having a facility like this allows them to decompress and deal with those moments and be better servants for our community.”

The department’s 62 police officers will be able to train in large indoor/outdoor gyms and relax in a private courtyard surrounded by greenery, picnic-type tables, lounge chairs, and an awning to protect them from the sun.

Officers, staff, and victims of crimes may also encounter Darth, the department's therapy K-9.

Cullison stressed that this is only phase one of a master plan for the property. Plans are coming together to build Celina Fire Station 4 on the property. The city also plans to add a new dispatch center, a shooting range, and jail facility in the coming years.

Another goal is to create a ‘Safety Town’ on the grounds of public safety education, especially for children.

Topping the census list for the fastest-growing city in the U.S., Celina is expected to keep booming, growing by about 10,000 people per year, according to city spokesman Joe Monaco.

Like any other city, growth comes with an increase in crime. Online crime statistics show an increase since before the pandemic. So far this year, Celina officers have responded to 938 incidents; the highest number of calls have involved drugs, thefts, and burglaries.

Previous crime numbers show 867 police incidents in 2022, 694 in 2021, 538 in 2020, and 378 in 2019. Cullison expects the city will surpass 2023’s total of 1,160.

“We have to be ready for that, and that’s why we’re a proactive police department,” he said. “We work with our community. If you look at our core values, our mission, our vision is about partnerships.”

After showing NBC 5 the sprawling campus and pointing out the spot where the fire department will go, the longtime lawman became somewhat emotional about the realized project.

Cullison, who previously served in the Irving Police Department, recalled a recent conversation with another chief of police who talked to Cullison about the legacy he is leaving for residents and public servants for decades to come.

“Three years of hard work,” he said. “I didn’t want to let anybody down, and I want our city to be proud of us. I want them to see what we’re about and what the City of Celina is about. It is a city 'connected,’ and we’re going to be good at it.”