The new Dallas County law enforcement center has gotten the green light thanks to the recent passage of the $22.9 million bond referendum, so now people are asking: what’s next?

Sheriff Chad Leonard says the next step in the process will be to do some dirt work at the site, which is located on Highway 6 around a mile east of Highway 169, though still within Adel city limits. Leonard says that could start sometime this fall. After that, they will likely wait until the next spring to break ground. Once the ground is broken, construction on the facility is expected to take between 18-20 months. Until then, Leonard says the County will unfortunately have to continue transporting prisoners to other locations.

There was some concern over what will become of the current facility, though Leonard says they have a solid plan for it. He explains, when a county reaches 82,000 residents, which Dallas is currently at, it’s required by law to have another courtroom. With that in mind, the current jail facility will be renovated into a courtroom that will be used to prosecute criminal cases, leaving the historic courthouse for civil cases. Leonard says they had made a promise to the County to not leave an empty building on the square in Adel.

The passage of the bond referendum was a great relief to Leonard, as the measure had failed on three prior occasions. He was pleased the hard work he and others had put into educating people about the need for the new facility paid off. “If I could say anything to the people listening: thank you for the overwhelming support to the sheriff’s office and this new law enforcement center. It is needed. It wasn’t a want, it was a need. We’ll do the best we can to get it done, and do what’s right for the citizens here in Dallas County.”

To hear more about the new law enforcement facility, listen to Tuesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.