SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KMTR) -- Celebrating 3 years in the community, while looking ahead to the challenges in the future, opens doors for the Springfield Justice Center over the weekend.
Hundreds of community members took tours of the Springfield Justice Center on Saturday, November 13th, 2011, to get a look at the relatively new facility.
Even though the building has been open for a little bit now, Springfield Police Chief Jerry Smith says it’s important to keep showing community members the finish product that they helped build with financial support.
Come November 2012, a police & jail operating cost levy will expire. It pays for a good chunk of the police and jail’s expenses.
“Subject to council approval of course, the levy will need to be re-voted on and that makes a big percentage of our operation. So, it's kind of an opportunity for citizens to educate themselves, 'is it worth paying for?'” says Chief Jerry Smith.
Chief Smith says the new facility has made the department more efficient. With the Justice Center alongside the Springfield Jail, Smith says statistics have shown a major drop in crime in Springfield at certain points this year.
