In Shafter, city leaders and invited officials gathered for the groundbreaking of a new police substation and library extension.Just a short drive away in McFarland, city leaders are also marking a major milestone, breaking grou nd on a new police station and community center, both aimed at strengthening public safety.Public safety is a foundation of freedom of a free society, of a society that is able to live in peace, said Senator Melissa Hurtado.Over the past few years, State Senator Hurtado has helped secure $90 million in public safety funding for communities like Shafter and across her district, adding that the benefits are just starting to be seen.Starting the day in Shafter, the city broke ground as it welcomed the newest addition, a police substation tied together with an expansion of the Shafter Library. It's located at Forrest Village Drive and Gossamer Grove Blvd.Shafter Mayor Chad Givens says itll be more than just a library.We started a learning center because we recognize that there was a gap in what was happening in our community, and kern county has always had libraries, but we werent getting where we needed to be with that support, said Mayor Givens.From the secured $90 million, six million was allotted to Shafter and five million went to McFarland.At 3 p.m. on Tuesday, the same happened here in McFarland, breaking ground on their new police station and community center at the corner of Mast and Taylor.According to officials, this is a huge necessity for the city as the department does not have adequate resources to handle cases.We dont have your typical interview rooms where we can bring victims in and theres a sense of privacy, said McFarland Police Chief Adrian Olmos. Including supervisors and officers that are working on cases, theres a lot going on around them and theres no sense of privacy because were in a small confined space.Talks for the project started two years ago in McFarland, according to mayor Saul Ayon, the total cost for the facility is just under $10 million. With the addition of a community center being critical for the community according to Mayor Ayon.We want to bring senior services, a police activities league for our youth and also an emergency center when we have a natural disaster, said Ayon.Officials say Shafters building should be done by the Spring of 2026 and McFarlands by February of 2027.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less