Brookhaven Police Chief Pap Henderson and his officers arewaiting patiently and expectantly on the completion of renovationsto their new home on Highway 51 South.

“I’m just so happy to see they’ve gotten started, and as far asI know they’re on schedule,” Henderson said.

The police station will be located in the old MississippiHighway Patrol building on Highway 51, and the project has been inthe works for over a year. Public Works Director Steve Moreton saidthe fact that the building is so solid slows the project down morethan work on a normal building.

“It takes a lot more work to get things done in it because it’sso solid,” he said.

Henderson said the perk of using the old Highway Patrol Buildingis that it’s built to be a police building, with cinderblock wallsand a sturdy framework. In addition, there are a lot of differentkinds of wiring that needs to be done.

“It’s not a normal building,” he said. “It’s already built as apolice station, and there are certain electrical things that haveto be done differently for things like the radio and 911systems.”

Laird Electric workers are in the building now doing not onlythe electric work, but also working on the cables and other systemsthat will be needed to run the computers, radios and Internetcapability.

Also, the police department’s current radio tower and existingphone system will be moved to the structure.

As for other plans, there is a small modular building in theback of the lot that officials said investigators may use for someof their work. A room that used to have metal roll-up doors will bebricked in for security and used as an evidence room.

And as an added benefit, the police department will have a yard.In one part of the side yard is a hybrid pear tree that Hendersonsaid the Highway Patrol had asked him specifically not to cut.

“It’s pretty exciting to see all those pears, and from what I’vebeen told there is more than one kind of pear on that tree,” hesaid. “And we’re also looking forward to having a lawn. It will beunusual for us to have that much lawn, but we look forward tobeautifying it for people to see as they drive by.”

Moreton said while the windows have been taken out and thewiring is under way, as well as other work that’s clearly makingheadway inside the building, there’s still no clear timeline onwhen the facility will be finished.

Henderson said he and his department can be patient a whilelonger. He said they are sad to be leaving the environment they’rein now, as it has been a good home to them, but they’re ready fortheir new location.

“We really do need more room,” he said. “The sheriff and I workwell together, and always have, and I don’t look forward to leavingthat, but we’re ready for our own space.”

But in the meantime, Henderson stressed that the move will notaffect the police department’s readiness and availability.

“The service we give will not be changing when we’ve moved fromdowntown over to Highway 51,” he said. “We’ll still have the sameservice and protection. The location of the building is all thatwill change.”