Osage County Sheriffs Office breaks ground on new facility

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Osage County Sheriff’s Office hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new law enforcement center Monday afternoon after 14 months of planning and preparation.

Residents of Osage County gathered on the lawn of the current Osage County Sheriff’s Office, where the new facility is set to be built.

More spacious than its predecessor, the new building will house both the jail and sheriff’s office in addition to other emergency services. Officers and other staff will see upgraded technology and enhanced safety measures.

“The technology is going to be better. It’ll be easier to do our jobs with less people,” Said Sheriff Wells. “Plus the safety alone of the employees and the inmates will be better.”

In November of 2021 Osage County residents voted to fund the project through a half-cent increase in sales tax for the next four years. Sheriff Wells contends that the jail, now revenue-based, will help pay for itself by housing inmates for the U.S. Marshall Service.

Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved.