Overlapping jurisdictions and heavy traffic leaves the Athens County Sheriff’s Office out of place in uptown Athens.
Commissioner Lenny Eliason and Sheriff Pat Kelly intend to relocate the Sheriff’s Office, which is currently at 13 W. Washington St., less than a mile away from the Ohio University Police Department and Athens Police Department.
“One problem is that the APD has primary jurisdiction within the city limits, so the Sheriff is in a lot of other areas and has more areas to cover,” Eliason said.
Kelly cited the inconveniences of being in uptown Athens, saying some of his deputies have hit pedestrians while fleeing to crime scenes.
“This is a terrible location because there’s no parking here. We’ve outgrown this building, it’s not handicap accessible and if my guys have to respond to an emergency call, they have to drive through downtown,” Kelly said.
Eliason said he has also had concerns about the Sheriff’s Office for a long time, and he’s been looking for ways to move the office out of the city for years.
“I don’t see a reason to take unnecessary trips through town that may be unsafe for the pedestrians,” he said.
Commissioner Charlie Adkins said one of the options for the new location is the Southeast Import Center on Columbus Road but added the commissioners have yet to make any final decisions.
“Right now it’s just in the ‘look-at stage,’ ” Adkins said. “The three of us (commissioners) do not have any plans in concrete, so I couldn’t tell you if it will happen this year or next or the year after, but it’s a real concern for us, and so we want to make sure it’s done right and serves the purpose for long term.”
Many of the deputy vehicles are parked on the street and at various locations in the county so Kelly plans to have all his operations under one roof.
If the commissioners successfully find a location to move the Sheriff’s Office, Eliason said the current location on W. Washington St. would be remodeled and used by other county offices. He added that he wants the new office to be able to last at least 25 years.
“At this point, there are a lot of factors to look at,” he said. “The (new) building may be made from scratch or we may buy a place. It’s not a matter of price at this point.”
az346610@ohiou.edu
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