Chief expects to begin services at new justice center later this month

Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson expects to begin some services at the new justice center by the end of April.

Thompson spoke to the Rotary Club of Blytheville Thursday, showing pictures that compared the current building on Walnut to the new one on South Division.

He said work is almost complete on the $3 million renovation to the old National Guard Armory, which will have more space, better amenities, and a safer work environment than the current facility.

Pictured is construction of the courtroom at the new justice center in February.

In 2017, the Arkansas Department of Labor inspected the current building, reportedly finding “imminent danger” and ordering BPD to vacate the dispatch/patrol and lobby area within 48 hours and then gave another timeframe for the department to completely move out of the building.

A month later, Blytheville voters approved a ½-cent tax that is funding the multi-million dollar renovation of the Armory.

Thompson believes the current building was built in the 1920s and pointed out that it still has signs of segregation, including four restrooms — two large ones and two small ones.

“Here we are working, it’s 2021, and we may be in a building that still has signs of segregation,” Thompson said.

He noted the new facilities will have nice restrooms that will have hot water, something the BPD hasn’t had in years.

The current building has a collapsed roof where the old jail used to be.

“Essentially, what we’ve got is Niagara Falls,” Thompson said.

BPD will not have those issues at the new building.

Currently, the police department doesn’t have a court lobby, but the new facility will have one that provides for social distancing.

Another change is dispatch will have the ability to see, 360 degrees, multiple SkyCop monitors and see crimes in real time, then relay the information to officers. Only emergency calls will be transferred to dispatch, who currently handle both business calls and emergency calls. Dispatch will also have its own restroom.

The courtroom will see major upgrades both in aesthetics and safety.

The judge’s bench will be protected by ballistic proof glass, as will the clerk window in the lobby.

Overall, security will be improved as well. “Right now we are probably one of the most unsecure facilities that I have seen of most police departments,” Thompson said.

At the new justice complex, the judge, attorneys, and employees will park inside a barbwire fence that has a coded gate in the back of the facility.

Thompson said the department will be bringing the police globes from the current building to the new one, which he believes is a nice touch.

The chief thanked the taxpayers for approving the tax that allowed BPD to move to the new building.

He added along with the renovations, the tax has provided for raises that have led to the hiring of certified officers and dramatically changed the turnover rate.

Thompson said for the first time in 17 years, BPD is fully staffed and showed statistics indicating the crime rate has improved.