Brookhaven and the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol’s longhistory of working together was extended Tuesday morning during anofficial ground-breaking ceremony on a new substation.

Governor Ronnie Musgrove joined a large gathering of localpublic officials and residents and highway patrol representativesat the ceremony.

“The safety and security of our people has always been apriority,” Musgrove said. “Since September 11 it has become an evenmore important one. This substation will be an added measure ofthat security.”

The governor praised the highway patrol during his remarks.

“We sometimes forget to thank those who put on a uniform, and Ithink this is an appropriate time to do so,” he said.

Musgrove said the highway patrol had made great strides inmaking the state’s roadways safer, commenting that highwayfatalities were down and seatbelt usage was up.

“That is not an incidental parallel,” Musgrove said.

The governor also praised the state and local officials who”worked so hard to see the substation built here” while turningover the podium to Rep. Jim Barnett.

Barnett said he was proud to have been a part of it.

“I’ve always had the greatest of respect for Troop M,” he said.”I think we have some of the finest officers in this state as anystate has anywhere.”

Mayor Bill Godbold spoke briefly of the work it took to securethe new substation and said Brookhaven “proved it was the best”place to locate.

Mississippi Highway Patrol Col. L. M. Claiborne introduced thelocal troopers and spoke of the long-standing relationship betweenthe MHP and Brookhaven.

“Brookhaven has been our home for a long time, and we’re proudit’s still our home,” he said. “We hope the highway patrol willcall this home for a long time to come.”

David Huggins, director of the Department of Public Safety and aretired trooper, made the introductions and guided theceremony.

The new substation will quadruple the size of the oldsubstation, from 3,000 square feet to more than 13,000. The newbuilding will also be internally sectioned into three differentworking environments: driver services, criminal investigations andgeneral enforcement, said Capt. James Vines, MHP commander ofDistrict 9.

In addition to more office space, Vines said, the new buildingwill also add interrogation and observation rooms.

Construction of the substation is expected to be completedaround September 2002.