Nassau moves closer to new sheriff's office construction

Nassau County is closer to getting a new sheriff’s office after the county commission votes to allocate $10 million towards the project and to seek good bank-financing proposals.

“We’re hoping we can get something done within the next year or two,” Sheriff Bill Leeper tells WOKV.

He says he’s now the third sheriff who’s asked for a new facility.

“The building we’re in now is a collection of portable trailers and an old jail we’re operating in.  It’s really not safe and secure, and we need to upgrade to a new facility, which is something that’s been talked about and needed since 2000.”

Leeper says if a strong storm were to come through, all their trailers would be gone.  And he says they have evidence, records, and weapons in some of those trailers.

“It’s just not something that a modern day law enforcement agency works out of.”

The county commission voted to finance the new building over a number of years that has yet to be designated.  The goal is to now have to dig into the county reserve, which can gain interest over time.

Leeper says the next step is getting a construction bid so they’ll know exactly how much it will cost.  They hope to start construction next summer and move in by 2015.