Cohutta Police Department gets new home
Jan. 8—More than a year after the town's police headquarters was destroyed in a fire, the Cohutta Town Council has purchased a house for the department to use for headquarters.
Mayor Ron Shinnick said the department should move into the house at 5133 Red Clay Road in the next two or three months. The city paid $250,000 for the house.
"It's a house, so we've still got some work to do, especially on the interior, to get it ready," he said. "But we are excited."
He said the town will likely hold an open house when it opens.
Until then, police headquarters will remain in trailers at 112 Windwalker Drive on the town tennis courts.
A fire on Dec. 18, 2022, destroyed a building that housed the police department and served as a warehouse for a private business. The cause of the fire was ruled undetermined. The city received reimbursement from insurance for the equipment it lost. It did not own the building.
Evidence and case files were stored elsewhere and were not affected by the fire but the department lost personnel files, firearms and other equipment. Police departments from across the state and the nation donated equipment to help replace what was lost.
Shinnick said the council members and police department personnel appreciate all of the support they have had over the last year, especially from the local community.
