Federal grant to support Atascadero Police Station

By Camille DeVaul · Thu Feb 26 2026

Project to modernize 1987 facility includes new dispatch center and room for additional officers

ATASCADERO — U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta joined city officials last week to announce an $850,000 federal grant to support improvements to the Atascadero Police Department, including a new 1,100-square-foot dispatch center. The funding will contribute to the city’s larger $4.22 million project to modernize the police facility, originally purchased and remodeled in 1987.

"I am proud to announce an $850,000 grant from the federal government to be built right here for critical improvements to the Atascadero Police Station," Panetta said. "Currently, the Atascadero Police Department is housed in a building ... that is not necessarily the state of the art for public safety."

Additional funds for the project are coming from Measure D-20, approved in November 2020. Voters approved Measure D-20 to generate funding for key City Council and community priorities related to public safety. The measure is projected to bring in just under $12 million during its first three fiscal years, from April 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023.

Of that total, approximately $9.5 million is allocated to public safety, $1 million to infrastructure improvements, and $1.5 million to other priorities such as staff retention and recruitment. Each funded item aligns with the city’s 2021–2023 Strategic Priorities for the use of Measure D-20 revenues.

You can find more information on the measure's projects at atascadero.org/measure-d-20

The grant will be put towards the city's $4.2 million improvement project, specifically to build a new 1,100-square-foot dispatch center for the department.

"So that our law enforcement officers can get the information that they need in a timely manner, to do the job that they are sworn to do," Panetta added.

Mayor Charles Bourbeau praised Panetta’s support, highlighting both the police facility improvements and prior federal funding for downtown enhancements.

"Jimmy Panetta has delivered, and we really appreciate that here in Atascadero," Bourbeau added. "He didn't ask, are you a red town, or a blue town, or a purple town, or anything like that. Our folks came forward with a request, and they said, what do you need?"

Police Chief Dan Suttles said the expansion will increase the department’s capacity by relocating dispatch operations to the new structure, freeing up additional space inside the existing building.

"I just want to tell everybody how excited I am, how excited our police department is, and how excited our community is, because we're going to be able to expand this building," Chief Suttles explained.

The department currently consists of 34 sworn officers and 15 professional staff. With the expansion, Suttles hopes to increase by eight to 10 officers and support staff, over a period of time.

"It's going to help us keep up with the rate of increase in population," he explained. "This is helping us find a solution for the inevitable growth that we're going to have within the city."

Construction is expected to begin in late March or early April and last approximately 12 months. Local funding, including revenue from Measure D-20, will cover much of the project cost, with the federal grant helping close funding gaps and support essential equipment and security upgrades.

Feature Image: (From left) Atascadero City Councilmember Heather Newsom, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Pannetta, Atascadero Mayor Pro Tem Mark Dariz, Police Chief Dan Suttles, and Mayor Charles Bourbeau are shown at the recent event announcing a federal grant of $850,000 toward APD improvements. Photo by Camille DeVaul/ATN