Union Police Department is working to update their headquarters to bring the town’s law enforcement into the 21st century. In a Board of Aldermen meeting, Oct. 2, Police Chief Billy Pat Walker and Officer Steve Robinson spoke to Aldermen about the need for a new police station and possible funding for the project.
“Professional police are essential to a community,” Robinson said. “We must always conduct ourselves with professional integrity.”
Integrity, Robinson explained, is reflected in a police officer’s dress, demeanor and the state of the offices they use. The current police station, which is located on Bank Street next to City Hall, is very small and dilapidated. The station lacks proper weapons and evidence lockers, doesn’t have a place to hold suspects and is much too small for the current and future needs of Union Police Department.
“It’s a 4-room facility,” he said. “Five if you count the bathroom.”
Robinson presented a plan to relocate police headquarters to the old National Guard Armory on Old Highway 494. The armory, he said, already has the proper evidence rooms, weapons lockers and holding areas that the current police station is missing. The building, which is already owned by the city, would only need around $60,000-$70,000 in renovation and revitalization work.
“We have a great school district,” he said. “We have a great town. I want to see us have a great police department.”
After failing to find funding for the project at a state level, Robinson said the police department reached out to Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Jackson, for help.
“One thing that we stressed to them was we did not have the money in the city to do this,” he said.
After looking over the issue, Harper’s office suggested a USDA Rural Community Facilities Grant, Robinson said. The grant would cover 75-percent of the total renovation costs, with a 25-percent funding match from the town.
Of course, there is no guarantee the town would be awarded the grant if it applies, but Robinson said Harper’s office was confident UPD had a good shot at being approved.
The Aldermen agreed the USDA grant sounded like a good idea. However, Mayor Wayne Welch said he had reservations about the police department moving so far away.
“I wish y’all had a building downtown instead of on a side street,” he said.
Having the police headquarters downtown is a strong police presence, which deters crime, Welch said. While he agreed new quarters were needed, he said moving from downtown might reduce the police presence and make Union seem less protected.
“My thing is all the buildings downtown are like the one we’re already in,” said Walker, adding if UPD wants to stay downtown, they’d be better off staying where they are.
Regardless of where the police department moves, Walker said, officers will constantly be stopping by City Hall to sign affidavits and patrolling Union’s streets.
“We’ll still be coming to City Hall,” he said.
After the discussion, Aldermen Rex Germany made the motion to allow UPD to apply for the USDA grant. Aldermen Billy McCune seconded, and the vote passed unanimously.
It was not immediately clear how long the grant application process might take or when the police department might know if they had been approved.
