Jackson city officials broke ground on a new police station site on Thursday.
Located behind the existing fire and police station on 525 S Hope Street, the facility has been nearly five years in the making, according to police chief Jamie Humphreys.
“I’ve mentioned to my employees that this is a historic occasion,” said Humphreys. “This has been a major endeavor, as it should be.”
Humphreys said the station is expected to comfortably house their own staff, an issue they have struggled with in the past. It will also have enough space, he said, to house other law enforcement representatives, an asset that is necessary ‘especially during a time of major crime.’
Among many features, the new station will house a community room for neighborhood meetings, training, and other events open to the public.
“It’s going to be the city’s building, and we want people to feel comfortable visiting us in our facility,” said Humphreys.
The nearly $7 million project was approved by voters in April of last year through a one-half cent sales tax measure for public safety improvements. Funds for the physical construction of the building were available in reserve funds, while the passed tax is expected to provide a stream of revenue for operational costs.
Humphreys indicated that, as promised through the tax measure, the department has already employed five additional officers, and one additional school resource officer since 2018.
Mayor Dwain Hahs added that, in a recent community survey, Jackson’s police and fire departments ranked the highest in service, and public safety was ranked a #1 priority among residents.
The project is being headed by Penzel Construction, and has an expected completion date of May 2020.