GREENWOOD (KFSM)-The Greenwood Police Department currently operates out of a small space inside City Hall, but on Thursday (Sept. 18), city officials broke ground for a new facility local law enforcement can call their own.
“Our police officers have been basically working in a closet for several years, so we’re very excited about the new facility,” Mayor Doug Kinslow said.
The vacant building on 250 Old Hackett Road will soon be expanded and renovated to house the new Greenwood Police Headquarters. The facility will be centrally located in a building, which was once a post office and most recently a physical therapy office. It will be renovated and expanded on the right side, according to Police Chief Will Dawson.
"For the first year we studied, we traveled to different police departments to see what they had inside especially new departments that were recently built and take that all back to see what we needed here," Chief Dawson said.
“We’re actually doubling the size of the existing building over there just now. It’s about a 10,000 square ft. building, and we’re adding another 10,000 square feet,” Mayor Kinslow said.
In addition to a lab to process evidence, the new police headquarters will have two holding cells, two interview rooms and a training room.
"This will allow us to do other things to benefit the community and let them see what we do,” Chief Dawson said.
The project has a $2.88 million price tag, which will be funded by a special quarter-cent sales tax over the next 20 years.
“To see something like this expand and the citizens to be behind it is very important for us to know that we have that support, so it’s a good feeling,” Mayor Kinslow said.
Construction is expected to be compete in the fall of next year.