A few generous donors helped to rebuild the South Bay Police Substation after several decades of wear and tear.
When it comes to morale and an officer's overall well being, the renovation was long overdue.
Since 1993, the Southern Division police substation has been a source of pride for officers like Carlos Lacarra.
"Officers stay here a minimum of 10 hours each day so it is kind of our home away from home," Lacarra said.
Overgrown shrubbery obstructed the exterior. And in the kitchen had outdated appliances, some completely out of commission.
Captain Miguel Rosario had to do something, so he asked the community for help.
"They've always been very cooperative with us. We like to think the San Ysidro community is a very tight-knit community and there's a lot of help," said Rosario.
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The Border Transportation Council is just one of several South Bay businesses that pitched in to help give the southern division a little TLC.
From donated flooring in the kitchen, new cabinetry, new kitchen appliances, a flat screen tv - to some hard labor to clear the brush outside.
It gives us a little more pride and it really feels good that you know people care about us," Rosario said. "And we know that if we provide that for them, the morale will be up and they'll go out there in the community and perform a good public service."
Besides the Border Transportation Council, Cortez Towing, The Pinnacle Group, J-F Cabinet company, Walmart, and the U.S. Navy helped pitch in a total of $20,000-worth of donations.
Furniture and new carpet are also on the way.
And a church group plans to paint the substation's interior and exterior later next month.
Diana Guevara covers stories involving San Diego's Latino community. Send her your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.
Find more of her stories in our special section.
