The Mississippi State University police force can all rest easy when it rains. The MSU Police Department moved to the Butler Williams Building in late June after the old Stone Building was condemned.
Sgt. Jonathan Wolfe said the move was a much-needed change for the department and the university.
“When it rained, water would run down the hill and come in the doors. It was old and dark, the carpet was stained and it looked very unprofessional,” Wolfe said.
The new building is located on Walker Drive next to the football stadium.
Capt. Kenneth Spencer hopes that the new location will make the department more accessible to students.
Spencer said, “Having the department in a more centralized location enables us to better serve the people of Mississippi State University.”
The first floor consists of new locker rooms with a bathroom and shower, a kitchen, a large squad room complete with three computers used for filing reports, an interview room and a bike room for storage and repair of bikes.
The second floor holds all of the administrative offices as well as other official offices. New security cameras and magnetically locking doors, which the old station did not contain, have also been added. These new security measures insure that only authorized personnel can enter into restricted areas.
The new facilities are a welcome site to the many staff that make up the MSU police force.
“It looks more professional and up to date,” said Wolfe. “It makes me proud to work for the department.”
The old building contained a bed, so the individual officers could rest as needed before leaving from work. This luxury is the only item the officers miss in the new facility, said Wolfe.
“After working a long shift it was nice to be able to take a short nap before driving home. I live about 20 minutes from campus and the nap would allow me to drive home safely,” Wolfe said.
The MSU police are not the only ones who benefited from the new location.
Allison Herbert, a sophomore at MSU, now feels much safer walking through campus at night.
“I did not know where the old police station was located so I feel much safer about it being so close,” she said.