News Why Benton Co. Sherriff Randy Forsyth looks forward to May 1, 2011

For Benton County Sheriff Randy Forsyth, May 1, 2001, cannot come soon enough.

That's the day that Forsyth expects to have the keys to the new Benton County Law Enforcement Center and jail. 

"They tell me that construction is supposed to be completed on April 30, 2011, and that we are supposed to get the building the next day," said Forsyth.

Forsyth and his deputies and jailers have been working in alternate space since June of 2008, when 36 inches of water from the flood destroyed the building and forced the evacuation of some prisoners by boat. 

The sheriff and his staff have been using office space at the old West school building (owned by ICAS). The Lincoln Elementary building's lower area has been turned into prison space. 

But at times, said Forsyth, that building does not have enough capacity for all of the prisoners serving time. When that building gets full, the county has to transport inmates to Linn County. Many people come on weekends to serve two-day mitimus sentences, causing the prison population to swell. 

Each day, visible signs of the progress of the new LEC are visible. Masonry crews have begun building the walls of the administrative section of the building. Exterior brick work is nearly finished on the jail side, the east half of the LEC. 

The Benton County Supervisors will tour the LEC construction site with project manager Jerry Petermeier during their meeting Tuesday morning.