New Braunfels- Since last year, New Braunfels grew nearly 6% with their population now sitting at just under 111,000 people. City leadership is making sure their investment in public safety is keeping up with the community’s growing needs.
As one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, we spoke to New Braunfels city leaders to find out what they’re doing to ensure the city stays safe.
“Safety is the number one prerequisite for a strong economy,” says Pres. & CEO of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. Packer says the city’s investments over the years in public safety have translated into a fast-growing community. So much so, that the average 3-year population growth rate in the city was just under 6%.
“We’re seeing investments in new fire stations and new personnel and new equipment that makes sure that level of service continues as we grow,” says Packer.
Last year, the city dedicated more than $56 million dollars of the budget to public safety.
“These bond projects have delivered new police headquarters, they’ve delivered fire stations, also to invest in personnel and equipment to make sure we’re delivering the best service possible the most modern equipment at the scale needed To maintain safety,” says Packer.
City officials say they continue to add police officers to keep up with demand. 64 positions have been added since 2014.
In addition to police, in the past 2 years, 15 firefighters have also been added. And since 2022, 3 new fire stations have been opened totaling more than $23 million dollars in investment along with a $36 million dollar police station.
“I always felt safe and walked around by myself,” says resident Zoey Lecompt.
And it’s these additions that make residents like Lecompt happy to call New Braunfels home.
“Never really had any problems or issuesI’ve always felt safe and I’ve always lived here by myself as a young lady,” says Lecompt.
Read the full statement from the city of New Braunfels :
The safety and security of both residents and visitors is a top priority for the City of New Braunfels. As our community continues to attract tourists and new residents, the City will continue to make investments in infrastructure, equipment and staff that help keep New Braunfels safe.
The City of New Braunfels continues to add police officers to keep up with demand and 64 positions have been added to the Police Department since 2014. In addition to police, in the past two years alone, 15 firefighters have been added. It’s also important to give those police and fire positions the infrastructure and equipment they need. Since 2022, three new fire stations have been opened totaling more than $23 million in investment along with a $36.3 million police station.
The City of New Braunfels is committed to creating a safe community. The recently adopted 2024-2029 Strategic Plan includes safety in terms of police, fire, streets, and public health as top priorities. We will continue to develop capital and staffing investments that improve safety, respond to critical issues, ensure public safety equipment meets the demand, align public safety deployment strategies to call type and work with residents and partners to create a community where all feel safe and welcome here.
To see the New Braunfels FY2024 Adopted Budget Document click here