CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi is adding a new tool to fight crime on the Southside: a state-of-the-art police substation.
"We're moving south. As you know, the city's incorporating a lot of London area, so that's an obligatory area we have to provide service to. So it makes sense that it's here," Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle said.
The 7,300 square foot building will be the first of its kind south of South Padre Island Drive, offering better response times and community access.
"It's going to allow us better interaction with the community, better work environment for the patrolmen who utilize this," Markle said.
Voters approved the project in both Bond 2022 and Bond 2024.
According to an open records request from 2022-March 2025, nearly 300 gun-related incidents were reported in 78413 and 78414, including six murders and four officer-involved shootings.
The police chief also emphasized that the substation will cut down on response times to those types of incidents.
"We're a major city. We're not Mayberry. We're going to have those incidents. We're going to deal with homicides," Markle said. "But we're going to grow and facilitate more officers, better response times for this side."
Arij Jiwani, a Southside resident who lives near the site, says the substation will bring relief to his neighborhood.
"Honestly, we had an incident a couple of times in my parking lot here at home. So I think this will be great help for all the neighbors," said Arif Jiwani, Southside Resident.
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