Swannanoa will get a new substation as part of major changes planned at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office over the next eight months. The Sheriff’s Office will be relocating from its current building on Haywood Street in Asheville, to the new courthouse annex building and an additional county building on Leicester Highway. Part of the relocation plan includes a partnership with the Swannanoa Fire Department to open a substation in Swannanoa’s main fire station on South Avenue. The Sheriff’s Office will have dedicated office space inside the fire station, as well as an anonymous drop box where residents can provide tips and share other information with officers and investigators.

Sheriff Van Duncan says he expects the substation will be open for business some time this fall. The goal is to have a deputy on site for a majority of the time, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. At times when a deputy is not present, a patrol officer can be quickly called to the substation by Fire Department personnel. Once the substation is open, residents will be able to meet with officers in Swannanoa, without the necessity of traveling to Asheville. By providing officers with a dedicated space for conducting interviews and follow-up investigations, completing paperwork, and interacting with residents, the Sheriff’s Office can more efficiently serve the needs of our community.

Sheriff Duncan said he’s looking forward to the partnership with the Swannanoa Fire Department, and to strengthening the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the Swannanoa community. He said the new substation will help to sustain the recent crime prevention work that the Sheriff’s Office has done in Swannanoa through its Community Oriented Problem Solving Teams. The Swannanoa substation will be the first of its kind in Buncombe County, but it may eventually serve as a model for similar substations that will operate out of fire stations in other parts of the county.