Photo courtesy of the Dallas County Sheriff's Office

It’s been nearly two years since Dallas County voters approved the $23.9 million bond referendum to build a new law enforcement center, and according to Sheriff Chad Leonard the facility is really starting to take shape.

“Really inside, the administration side, the walls are already painted and those type of things. You know, there’s still some texturing and finish work that needs to be done. The windows and doors aren’t in — another month for those to be built out and shipped here — but they’re all kind of specialty items, because they have ballistic ratings and safety ratings and stuff like that. So there’s things that can be done now while they’re waiting for those other things, and they’re doing a good job managing that and they’re getting those things done.”

Leonard also points out that the cost of the facility is well under budget, even in spite of several changes that have had to be made to the original plans, such as the recent addition of upgraded smoke ventilation systems in the jail pods. Additionally, Leonard says the multitude of delays contractors faced during the winter season could have set progress back several months. However, the building is still scheduled to be completed by mid-October, which is in line with the original timetable.

To learn more about the latest on the Dallas County Law Enforcement Center, listen to this coming Tuesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.