Construction of the new Dallas County Law Enforcement Center is moving along swiftly, and as the walls go up, so does everyone’s excitement.

Sheriff Chad Leonard says the concrete bases have been finished for everything but the jail pod, and with so many walls already erected, it won’t be long until there’s roofs overhead. He says the contractors hope to have each section of the facility enclosed before winter, so they can continue work on the inside in the cold weather. Leonard has been heavily involved in the construction process, and says it’s definitely been a challenge for him. “Basically, I’m considered one of the owners, so pretty much everything that happens out there, you know I kind of have a say in it. I’m out there every week, multiple times a week. We have a lot of meetings out there to make sure that things are getting done right. I’m still learning, and there’s a ton of stuff that I never thought about. So it’s definitely a learning curve for me.”

A recent example of things Leonard had never considered is the grease traps in the kitchens. He says he’s never dealt with a facility with a kitchen so he sought the input of other sheriffs who have experience with them. Leonard is complimentary of the contractors, designers, and workers on the project, because they’ve saved the County both time and money. “The plan for completion has actually been moved up to June of 2019. You know, that’s 11 months away. You wouldn’t think it by looking at it that they’d be done by that point, but they assure me they are on schedule and it’s going well out there. Everything so far has been under budget. So I hope it stays that way!”

To learn more about the progress of the new law enforcement center, click the link below to listen to the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Leonard.

https://raccoonvalleyradio.com/2018/07/lets-talk-dallas-county-7262018-chad-leonard-part-two/