Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore is faced with the monumental task of moving the city’s police headquarters to make way for $2.5 million in renovations.
“I’m hoping to clear the building by the end of the month,” said Moore, referring to the headquarters building located at 406 Main St., which houses police operations as well as the city’s Municipal Court.
The department’s new home will be the former Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop D barracks on U.S. 82.
Moore said moving isn’t as simple as one might think because of all the phone and Internet connections involved. The headquarters serves as the routing junction for many connections including City Hall, the Lester L. Martin Police Investigation Annex, the Department of Public Works and the Fire Department. The equipment also includes the National Crime Information Center computer, which has a dedicated line tied to Jackson.
The department will have to solicit bids for the removal and relocation of the connections, and the City Council must approve the bids.
The department can’t afford to shut down even for a few minutes, the chief said.
“If you run a grocery store, you can afford to close the store for two days. We can’t do it,” he said. “We have to have everything in place out there at the old Highway Patrol Station ready to flip a switch and go online.
“If we’re out of pocket, somebody’s life could be on the line,” he said. “Fifteen or 20 minutes might not seem long, but it depends on what’s going on.”
The council in October approved $500,000 for relocating the department while renovations are being done. Police will also use the department’s substation, located at the intersection of Howard and West Gibbs streets, for some duties, the chief said.
The department’s temporary home in the former Highway Patrol building also needs some work before the department can move there. Planned upgrades, which will also require bids, include adding new carpeting as well as painting the interior.
Moore said the police headquarters, built in 1967, has served the department well.
“I don’t know who designed this building, but they did a pretty good job because it has lasted this long,” he said.
But the building also has asbestos-lined pipes, faulty wiring and lead-based paint in the old jail, and “it’s probably considered to be a health hazard,” Moore said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
