Inside the jail pod of the new Dallas County Law Enforcement Center; photo courtesy of Dallas County Sheriff's Office

Looking back at 2019 in Dallas County, it’s impossible not to note the progress of the multi-million dollar project that’s been ongoing since 2017: the new law enforcement center.

The bond for the facility was approved in May of 2017 with construction initially anticipated for an October 2019 completion. Nearly three years since then, things have rarely gone according to plan and the completion date has now been pushed back to spring of 2020. Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson emphasizes that the County is happy with how the work has gone and how the center is looking, and points out that the majority of hiccups have been weather-related.

He says there have been some complications with contractors which held up construction for a few months, but have since been resolved. Additionally, the complexity of the facility proved to be higher than anticipated, so crews have taken their time to ensure everything is done right. Hanson adds, he firmly believes all the delays will be worth it in the end, as the County will have an ideal law enforcement center. “It’s going to take an awful lot of pressure off of our Sheriff and the work that he’s had to do by moving prisoners all over, county-to-county, for Dallas County over the last few years. Ultimately, we’re not cutting any corners and we want a final product that is going to last this county for years, and in the long run is very important to our public safety for all residents of Dallas County.”

To hear more from Hanson on 2019, listen to yesterday’s and today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County programs at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.