Jackson police moving into new headquarters

Enhanced security, improved safety and a lot more space.

That’s what Jackson police chief James Humphreys says the city and his department are getting as the department moves into a new $6.5 million headquarters at 202 W. Jackson Blvd., next door to the building it shared for many years with Jackson’s fire/rescue department.

The transition across the driveway from the former police station to the new building began earlier this month.

“It’s been a really good move thus far,” Humphreys said. Although there are still a few “minor details” to be finished in the new building, he said the department should be completely moved in by early next week.

“I consider us to be operating in the new building,” he said Tuesday. “We’re probably 85 to 90% moved in now.”

The new Jackson Police Department headquarters at 202 W. Jackson Blvd. features a spacious lobby, as seen Tuesday.JAY WOLZ

Since the early 1980s, the police department has occupied a little less than half the 7,000-square-foot police/fire complex at 525 S. Hope St., just east of the new police station.

“Honestly, I don’t know how we did it for so many years,” said Humphreys, who joined the Jackson police force 26 years ago and was named chief of police in 2003. “What’s amazing is, when you realize just how small and how confined an area we were working in with 30-some employees, sometimes with all of us there at once.”

At 18,000 square feet, the new building is about six times larger than the department’s former headquarters, with ample room for all department functions — administrative, patrol, investigations, evidence storage, training and prisoner bookings/confinement.

“It’s a little big for what we’re doing right now, but this building is made for (our needs) 30 to 40 years down the road, so we’ll have no problems with growth at all,” the chief said.

Planning for the new building began more than five years ago and included numerous committee meetings, architectural designs sessions and site visits to other recently built police stations throughout the region. Construction began early last year.

Jackson police Lt. Alex Broch demonstrates Tuesday how protective storm shields can be lowered in the training room of the police department's new headquarters building, converting the training room into a tornado shelter.JAY WOLZ

“Everything is just top of the line, state-of-the-art,” Humphreys said, from security systems to the building’s overall layout.

For instance, the prisoner holding area has been configured so anyone who has been arrested will not encounter “civilian” members of the public.

“That was a problem with our old building,” Humphreys said. “When we arrested somebody, we had to walk them by civilians and civilian employees withing our department. That was a safety issue and a big security issue. It’s nice to have a proper facility to safely handle people we arrest, which we never had before.”

Another safety feature of the new headquarters is the building’s main training room, which can double as a safe room during severe weather.

“That’s an added feature that we’re really, really proud of,” the chief said. When configured with tables and chairs, the room can seat about 40 people, but with tables removed the occupancy increases to about 80.

The main training room at the new Jackson Police Department headquarters, 202 W. Jackson Blvd., is seen Tuesday. The training room can double as a "safe room" during tornadoes and other severe storms.JAY WOLZ

Penzel Construction Co. was the general contractor for the project, which has been funded through the city’s reserve funds, saving an estimated $2.5 million in interest.

A “ribbon cutting” or other form of official opening of the new police station has not been scheduled. Humphreys said it could be delayed several months due to the COVID-19 situation.

Meanwhile, there are no immediate plans for how to best utilize the space the police department is vacating in the building it shared with Jackson Fire/Rescue.

“We continue to conduct an internal needs assessment as to use of the entire building,” said Jason Mouser, Jackson’s fire chief. “Nothing is planned for (remodeling) this current budget year. The building itself will be going on 40 years old next year and we need to plan for the next 30-40 years in the updates that we make.”

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The Jackson Police Department is moving into its new $6.5 million headquarters at 202 W. Jackson Blvd. this week.JAY WOLZ