Only two informational meetings remain for the public to hear from the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff’s Office, as well as the architect, project manager, and more on the law enforcement center addition bond referendum vote on March 3rd.

The County is asking voters whether to pursue an $8.7 million referendum to build a new jail on the northside of the Guthrie County Courthouse, and make improvements to the parking lot. The current jail, located in the basement of the courthouse, was constructed in 1963, and at that time it was permitted to hold 10 inmates with about five Sheriff’s Office employees. Now, due to an increase in crime, drug use, and mental health issues there are around 35 full and part-time employees, reserve officers, and chaplains who serve to protect the County.

Deputy Kent Gries says the current facility poses safety issues to the public who visit the courthouse, and to employees, “Our staff is not working in a safe environment, it’s too crowded, it’s too cramped. We have a single point of ingress and egress into and out of the jail. Inmates routinely walk past dispatchers as they’re doing their job. We literally have a paper sign up that says, ‘This is a restricted area,’ and a paper sign is worth about as much as it weighs, as far as keeping inmates potentially out of that location.”

The final meetings will be taking place tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Lake Panorama Conference Center and 1:30 p.m. at the Guthrie Center High School Auditorium, respectively. A jail tour is included with the second meeting, though the public can stop by the jail for a tour anytime from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday.