(This story has been updated with additional information.)
Recently approved federal funding includes $3.75 million to contribute toward a new Victorville Police Department facility, as well as mental health services in the Barstow area, officials said.
The money comes through fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills and were announced by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-CA, on Friday, Feb. 20, along with funding for six additional project across the Inland Empire, totaling $15.4 million.
New Victorville Police Department facility
The bills include a $3 million allocation to support the development of a “Real Time Crime Viewing Center” at a planned new Victorville Police Department facility.
“This funding will support the development of a real time crime and viewing center to enhance criminal investigation, police response, and crime prevention,” Padilla’s office said in a written statement.
The project, currently in development, is expected to be roughly three times the size of the current Victorville Police Department facility.
U.S. Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, also championed the project.
“I’m proud to have secured $3 million in federal funding for the City of Victorville to establish a new Real-Time Crime and Viewing Center,” he said via social media. “This investment will provide law enforcement with the tools they need to respond more quickly, solve crimes more effectively, and prevent criminal activity before it escalates.
“By integrating key public safety technologies into one coordinated system at the new police station, officers will have faster access to critical information during emergencies and investigations,” Obernolte added. “Supporting our local law enforcement with practical, results-driven resources is essential to keeping Victorville families safe and strengthening public safety across our community.”
Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra thanked Congress for the support.
“The City of Victorville is extremely grateful to our federal leaders including, Congressman Jay Obernolte and Senator Alex Padilla for supporting our strategic initiatives to increase public safety for our community,” she said.
“This investment of $3 million in federal funding will enable us to realize our vision for a real-time information center incorporating the data collected from our automatic license plate readers, ShotSpotter gun detection technology, and our soon-to-be launched drone as first responder program,” the according to the mayor. “Bringing this data together in one nerve center will help us speed response times and prevent, investigate, and solve crime more effectively.”
Barstow mental health support
Another $750,000 were allocated to the Barstow Community College District to support a “Rural Mental Health Program,” the senator announced.
“This funding will help establish a program to provide comprehensive mental health services to benefit students and the general population,” the statement from his office said.
Padilla said he was “proud to help secure millions in federal funding to support transformative projects that will deliver lasting improvements for Inland Empire communities.”
BCC officials said in a written statement that the money would be used to improve mental health resources, which “remain limited, particularly in rural areas and in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Youth and young adults continue to face serious mental health challenges, and this funding will provide the College additional resources to respond to those needs in a stronger and more sustainable way,” according to the statement.
Features of the Rural Mental Health Program will include:
BCC Superintendent-President Eva Bagg said the federal assistance was “transformative for our students and our community.”
“Rural communities often face unique barriers to accessing mental health care,” she said. “This investment allows us to expand services, reach more families, and ensure that our students have the support they need to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.”
BCC Professor and Mental Health Counselor Christa Banton called the grant “a milestone in our efforts here at Barstow Community College to assist students as well as our rural community in meeting the challenges of mental health and substance use/abuse.”
“This will allow us to expand our reach and support as we know that if mental health and substance use/abuse is met with a holistic model then people can recover and heal,” Banton said. “This also allows for personal growth and allows the college to meet the challenges of an ever-changing work force here in our rural area. We look forward to what the future holds, and we know that this grant will allow us to continue to serve our community.”
Other Inland Empire projects
Additional projects funded under the new appropriations bills include:
“These investments will support local governments and non-profits working on the ground in our communities,” according to Padila. “They will help protect the air quality and ecosystem around the Salton Sea, streamline the Palm Springs Airport passenger experience, bolster mental health care, and improve public safety in the region.
“As Californians struggle with the rising cost of living under President Trump’s harmful economic agenda, these crucial investments will make a tangible difference for Inland Empire residents,” he said.
Padilla’s office added that the newly announced funds represent a portion of a total of $241,794,366 in Congressionally Directed Spending secured by the senator for California in fiscal year 2026.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Federal funds secured for new Victorville PD, Barstow mental health services
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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