Jackson chief: New building will make policing easier

A planned $6.5 million police station to be built in Jackson will be a major improvement over the existing space, and is on track for completion next year.

Jackson police chief James Humphreys said the new building will create a public safety complex, whose layout and square footage will be “a better place to get the job done for the community.”

The new facility will be built in a parking lot between the existing police/fire station at 525 S. Hope St. and Missouri Street.

Phil Penzel, president and CEO of Penzel Construction in Jackson, said a lot of thought went into the design of the new police station, with attention to organizing department spaces to allow good flow through the building.

And, Penzel said, the hallways will be wider.

An artist's rendering of the proposed Jackson police station.Submitted by Penzel Construction

Penzel said just that one change will make a big difference, and noted in the existing space, two officers in full gear cannot pass each other — they each have to turn sideways to pass.

And spillover from storage areas is in the downstairs hallways.

“It’s tight,” Humphreys said. “Everything is a struggle.”

City of Jackson Chief of Police James Humphreys gives a tour of the tight quarters of the police department March 13 in Jackson.Kassi Jackson ~ Southeast Missourian

Beyond the hallways, the existing station doesn’t have enough space to accommodate Jackson’s police force, much less agencies or entities called in to assist.

Humphreys said the bomb threat at Jackson High School on Jan. 11 is a clear example of the need for the new building.

Five or six agencies were called in to assist with that incident, Humphreys said.

Simply put, he said, there wasn’t room.

But the new facility will be 18,000 square feet, larger than the 15,000 square feet originally requested.

The police department currently uses about 3,000 square feet of the police/fire complex, which is about 7,000 square feet total, Humphreys said.

Humphreys said he “could go on and on about the pluses” the new building will offer. Humphreys noted the new building will have more storage space and proper interviewing areas, which will help the department meet regulations.

Communications officer Baylie Bonney, left, waits while administrative assistant Rachel Coleman makes a phone call for permissions to release documents March 13 in Jackson.Kassi Jackson ~ Southeast Missourian

“It will be so much easier,” Humphreys said.

And, he said, since the new building is next door, once it’s complete, officials can “move right in and not miss a beat.”

Humphreys said the holding area for prisoners will be better, too. Now, since the cells don’t have sight and sound separation, only one gender can be accommodated at a time. The county jail has to take the overflow, which is a hassle, he said.

Another clear advantage of the new facility will be covered areas for parking, processing a vehicle for evidence, and a sally port for secure entry and exit.

Humphreys said the new sally port means people under arrest won’t have to be out in the weather when they’re brought in. That’s a present safety concern, he noted.

But none of that would be a concern with the new building.

Penzel said the new station will face West Jackson Boulevard, and dispatch and patrol will be closest to Missouri Street, where a parking area will house patrol cars.

Lockers, secure storage, interview rooms and booking and processing will all have a place, Penzel said, and be bigger than existing facilities.

The processing areas are adjacent to secure storage areas, Penzel noted.

There’s even a dog run for the K-9 officers, Penzel said.

Then, at the far end of the building, there’s a conference room with a separate entrance for members of the public.

That conference room can host news conferences or police trainings, Penzel said, and can be used as a command center for natural disasters or other multi-agency responses.

Penzel said he’s proud of how the team has worked together to come up with a design.

“The new building and existing one will flow together, but each has their own identity,” Penzel said.

Humphreys said the committee was formed about five years ago, and that committee has met many, many times.

“It’s a huge project,” Humphreys said. “To do it right, it is a lot of work, and it should be.”

The city is paying for the building out of reserve funds, and will thus save approximately $2.5 million in interest.

Penzel said the project will break ground this spring, and construction would likely take about 14 to 15 months, meaning the project would be complete as soon as late spring 2020, weather and circumstances permitting.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630