Perry County leaders share expansion plan for Sheriff’s Office, jail

PERRYVILLE, Mo. (KFVS) - There’s a space problem in Perry County Missouri right now, both at the jail and the Sheriff’s Office.

Now, leaders are reaching out to the public for help.

Presiding Commissioner, Mike Sauer said the commissioners came up with a sales tax to go toward building an all-in-one joint justice center.

”It’s been known to the commission for years we need to do something different,” Sauer said.

This would house the Sheriff’s Office, Perryville Police Department, jail, court and more all under one roof. The price tag -in the range of $15 million.

“It would be way more efficient to have it all combined together than it would be to keep it like it is,” he said.

Sauer said they’re being sure to include additional space for future growth in the conceptual plan for the new facility.

This will provide more jail space for inmates.

“We have a total of 34 in the jail that was designed for 16 total people,” he said.

Bill Jones is the Assistant Police Chief for the City of Perryville. He explained how this new justice center could benefit him and other law enforcement officers.

“I think it’ll foster better working relationships, better communications I should say between the two departments,” Jones said.

The changes could provide citizens and law enforcement with more safety as well.

Kim Schnurbusch is on the committee working to pass the new justice center. She said the plans to put court inside the facility can give some citizens peace of mind.

“This facility will give them a way of making all that inside and they will not have to go outside for possible escape or for the community to see for them to be on parade,” she said.

Perry County residents can vote to establish a one-half of one percent sales tax to fund capital improvements.

It will be on the April 6 ballot.

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