The new Smithville Police Department building is finally complete and the public will get to tour the facility in a couple of weeks. Open house for the new police department will be held Sunday, October 17, between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.

“We would like to invite the community out for snacks and a time to look through the new police department. This will also give the community a time to meet our city officers. We are very excited that our officers will have a new spacious building to work in,” said Smithville Mayor Josh Miller.

“We are grateful to the mayor and aldermen and the citizens of Smithville for this facility. Our entire police department staff and I are looking forward to moving into the new building once it’s furnished and some finishing touches are made. This is something we are all proud of and believe the community can take pride in it as well. We invite everyone to come out and see us during the open house,” said Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins.

The bid for construction of the police department building went to Boyce Ballard Construction of Murfreesboro, at $2,395,000, though the city issued up to $2.5 million in bonds for the project.

A ground breaking ceremony was held on September 4, 2020, when construction began, but weeks later the work was halted after crews encountered unsuitable soils on the site. The city and contractor eventually agreed to split the cost to remedy the problem and construction resumed. The city’s portion was up to $50,000.

The facility has a total area of 12,800 square feet, which includes a 1,400 square foot sally port. It encompasses a front lobby, records clerk office, hallways, three holding cells, armory, conference and training rooms, offices for the chief, captain, detectives, and other officers, rooms for records, evidence, investigations, filing reports, locker room, electrical room, closets, restrooms, and break room.