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ST. CLOUD - The new Community Outpost - or COP House - will be opening next week in south St. Cloud. St. Cloud Police Lieutenant Lori Ellering says their first day open will be next Thursday, June 1st.

We'll be having some times where officers are going to be in the house, we'll be doing some programming, working with our community partners Stearns County Human Services, and other groups.

Ellering says Gold Cross Ambulance and other services will also have a presence in the house.

The non-profit Greater St. Cloud Public Safety Foundation has been raising money to help fund the project. Chair Brian Myers says the house has the potential to change the neighborhood.

There's going to be about $340,000 worth of value on that site.  That piece of real estate had 99 calls for service over the last five years.  One of the things we learned about Racine is that you need to put the house in the worst possible place in order to turn the neighborhood around.

Myers says the foundation has already held one job fair, and one of their main focuses will be getting more students interested in public safety careers. The

Ground was broken on the COP house - or Community Outpost - last November.  It's at 600 13th Street South, near the St. Cloud State University campus.

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