DEPUTIES, CHP MOVE INTO NEW CENTER.

Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer

MOORPARK - After months of delays, police have moved into an $11 million headquarters in what officials called a historic event for this city.

The Police Services Center on Spring Road is the first in the state to house both sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers - 40 from each agency. The 27,000-square-foot building also is Moorpark's first full-service police station in more than 20 years.

``It's weird,'' said Capt. Dick Diaz, the city's police chief. ``I was out here when it was all dirt.''

The police force (the city contracts for services with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department) worked out of cramped modular trailers on Flory Avenue for the past nine years.

``We were always fighting for the bathrooms,'' Diaz said. ``We're not all on top of each other anymore. We're really happy with it.''

The one-story building in downtown Moorpark includes an emergency operations center, armory, gym, showers, lockers, interview room, parking lot, carwash, child care area and dog run. The building was designed to allow for an expansion of as much as 20 percent.

The opening, originally set for earlier this year, was delayed for months. Assistant City Manager Hugh Riley said the biggest setback was fixing the windows, which were installed incorrectly and leaked.

Other factors in the delay included winter rains and untimely delivery of materials, officials said.

On Wednesday, workers were still in the building making final improvements. Moorpark Police moved in Monday, one week after the CHP, which leased space from a church.

A grand opening celebration is scheduled for January. Officials broke ground on the center last year.

Angie Valencia-Martinez, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com

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