Five years ago, the Community OutPost opened on St. Cloud's south side, replacing a crime-ridden house with a new building featuring programming for children and neighborhood residents.
This year, St. Cloud is poised to receive $475,000 to bring a second outpost to the city as part of a massive federal spending package passed this week.
The Community OutPost, or the "COP House," is the first of its kind in the state, modeled after a program in Racine, Wis. The house is home to a handful of police services, as well as health and wellness services, after-school homework programs, children's athletic leagues and even ambulance services.
The first outpost was funded by community donations and is owned by the Greater St. Cloud Public Safety Foundation. A federal grant paid for police officers to staff the house until 2018, when the city added three officer positions to the budget to continue the programming.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced Wednesday the $475,000 for a second outpost on the city's east side. The city is expected to receive funding over the next several months.
"The St. Cloud Community OutPost has provided a national model for how effective community policing can bolster public safety and foster positive police-community interactions," Klobuchar said in a statement. "This funding will enable a second COP House to continue improving public safety and quality of life."
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said the COP House has been key to helping build relationships and safer neighborhoods.
"This funding will allow us to bring the proven benefits of the Community OutPost to bolster the quality of life in another neighborhood," he said.
