Benton County opens new law enforcement center in Vinton

Flood waters destroyed Benton County's jail, Sheriff's Department and dispatch center three years ago.

On Saturday, the county unlocked the doors to it's new facility letting the public in for the first look.

In the next several weeks, the new building will be filled with deputies, dispatchers and possibly criminals.

Until then, community members sit in the cells of Benton County's New Law Enforcement Center, a $6 million project three years in the making.

“We thought we were going to be back in a year, but then the old building got condemned,” said Benton County Sheriff Randy Forsyth, “and it took three years, so it's been a long time.”

After the 2008 floods, the county says it's been a challenge getting a new facility up and running again, especially one that could house the Sheriff's Department, jail, Emergency Management and a dispatch center.  County officials argued for months over several possible new locations for the building.

“The first thing was are we going to put the jail back where it was when it flooded,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Ron Buch.

Buch says they decided to keep the new jail next to the river, at 503 3rd Avenue in Vinton, but raise the building four feet above flood level.  It might seem like a risky decision, but Buch says he's confident the new facility is safe from future flood waters.

The command center has 100 surveillance cameras and steel and concrete enforced cells.  Another federal grant helped cover the added cost of housing Emergency Management in the building.

Sheriff Forsyth says the state-of-the art technology is not nearly as impressive as all the people who worked to save the old jail during the floods.

“It went down in a hurry three years ago,” he said.  “There was a lot of disappointment, so I hope there's a lot of enjoyment today.”

The people who tried so desperately to save the old building are now getting to walk the halls of the new building for the first time.

The sheriff says deputies and dispatchers are still moving boxes and equipment into the new building.  He expects to have everyone moved within the next two weeks.