We’re around three months away from the special bond referendum election in Dallas County to build a law enforcement center.

Residents will be asked to approve $22.9 million in capital loan notes to build and equip a new jail and Sheriff’s office headquarters.  Sheriff Chad Leonard says he hopes people will make it a priority to be informed.

“I’d much rather you called me than talk to someone who might not know where we’re at currently.  I’d be glad to come out to any type of organization.  I just want everyone to have the accurate information.  The current facility that is housing our overcrowded prisoners, they have backed off and said that ‘we can’t hold your excess prisoners.’ So we’re in the process of making arrangements with three and four different jails because each jail can only take five to ten additional people.”

Sheriff Leonard says this is putting a burden on the other counties as they did not build facilities to be able to handle both their own prisoners and the overflow of inmates in Dallas County.

For more information, find the link in this story on our website.