Public can tour new Sheriff’s Office during Oct. 2 ceremony

The public is invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new King George Sheriff’s Office. The event is planned from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Tours of the building will take place after the ribbon-cutting.

Here’s the actual invitation: Invitation

The 52 employees of the Sheriff’s Office moved into the center in July. It took longer than expected to build the new office, which cost $7.5 million and has two floors of office space and training rooms, areas for communications, prisoner detention and evidence-gathering and a basement.

Sheriff Steve Dempsey said the new office provides a lot of features which the old one didn’t have. Plus, his department had offices, equipment and storage in four different places in the county and has been able to consolidate all staff and equipment under one roof.

Here are some features of the new office:

• Holding cells for juveniles and those with disabilities: Both are requirements that King George did not meet in the old facility.
• Forensic room: There was no designated location for processing evidence in the old setup.
• Finger printing room and machines: King George had to use equipment in other localities.
• Deputy gun and ammo storage: Had been stored in the evidence room.
• K-9 boarding: The deputy had to leave the dog in the car with the air conditioning running when he worked inside the office. The new facility provides shelter as well as a kennel where the dog can stay when the deputy is out of town.
• Vehicle processing garage: Vehicles can be sealed, away from exposure to elements.
• Internal training room, conference room and multipurpose room: Did not exist in the old office.
• Prisoner secure transport area: Deputy pulls his car into a secure bay that is locked before the prisoner is removed.
• Bereavement/compassionate room: Old office had no private area for families who got bad news or for those whose juvenile relatives were being questioned.

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