Potential Del City Jail Location Remains, Stockyards Location Removed From List

The Board of County Commissioners removed a potential site from their list of potential jail locations Wednesday, but not the one many were hoping for. 

“People have spoken many times and they're just not listening," Del City Police Chief Loyd Berger said. 

Nearly every jail site proposed has been met with opposition, but Wednesday’s County Commissioners meeting saw a public outcry from the people of Del City. “When people have these frustrations listen to them," Berger said. 

One of the proposed locations sits adjacent to Del City, and residents say it’s too close for comfort. “This hits their home," Berger said. 

He says the city has worked diligently to build a better, safer reputation that he feels would be tarnished by a jail in their backyard. “It deals with their safety, this deals with the children, this deals with their schools," Berger said. 

The proposed site is at SE 15th St. and E Grand Blvd and backs up to a residential neighborhood, with several local schools within a mile. "We know the public may feel frustrated like we're not hearing them, we do but until we have other options to consider we're sort of kind of forced into these considerations," County Commissioner Brian Maughan said. 

He also says the search will continue. “There are other sites that work, but the property owners haven't been willing to submit it," he said. 

Maughan added the location of the current jail is also not a viable option. "We are operating in a thirteen-story high-rise," he said. “If you can go anywhere else with a horizontal plan it is best practices all across the United States." 

Commissioner Maughan says he hopes to revisit discussions about a site at SW 74th & Rockwell next week, along with the SE 15th St. & E Grand Blvd location that remains on the list.