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The Sheriff’s Department
and the Lucas County Commissioners are proposing that a new
jail be built, along with a Behavioral Health Solutions
Center that will serve as an alternative to jailing those
who have mental illnesses or who have substance abuse issues
and present no harm to the community.
When Sheriff John Tharp
came into office, he knew immediately that a new facility
was needed. The current jail has massive problems that he
realized could no longer be fixed and, even if they were,
the issues of a design that caused inefficiencies would be
solved by any kind of repairs. He set about trying to find a
site downtown for a new facility.
The problem with trying to
build a facility downtown was financial – the costs were
extravagant – not at all suited for the type of building
that prove to be efficient and cost-effective.
The solution, he realized
after examining the costs with the County Commissioners,
would be to build a new facility, a distance away from
downtown.
The plan has arrived as a
state of the art facility that will save taxpayers millions
of dollars, that will continue to allow the community to
build upon the successes of criminal reform efforts, will
create over 800 union jobs and will improve operational
efficiencies.
The Solution Center, an
important part of the project, will enable law enforcement
officials to seek a different way to dealing with the
mentally ill or those under the influence of drugs or
alcohol who do not need to be placed in jail. Such solutions
save money by reducing the number of people taken to jail
and enhance public health and safety.
The new facility will be
financed by a levy – Issue 10 – on the November ballot. If
voters approve, the bond will generate $10 annually - $185
million in all – and will cost the homeowner of a $100,000
home, $4 per month over the life of the bond issuance.
The planned building will
be located in north Toledo in the Alexis Road and Detroit
Avenue neighborhood. The location will prove to be very
convenient to so many area law enforcement officials who
will benefit from the greatly enhanced efficiencies of a
state of the art facility, the ease of access to the
facility and the ability to provide alternate treatment for
those who do not belong in jail.
Community safety will also
increase since the new facility will be located away from
densely populated neighborhoods.
The replacement of the
downtown jail is important not only to end the endless and
increasing expense of operating and repairing an outdated,
badly designed facility but also to improve the safety of
law enforcement officials and the inmates who live there.
Vote FOR Issue 10.
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