New Hanover Sheriff's Office to get new facility. Here's what it will be used for.
New Hanover County is working alongside the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office to construct a new facility that will house the operations of the Sheriff's Detectives Division and Vice and Narcotics Unit.
The Sheriff's Detective Division consists of highly trained investigators, divided between criminal investigation and crime scene investigation sections, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office webpage.
The Vice and Narcotics Unit is responsible for investigating the suppression of illegal drug trafficking, gang violence, prostitution, gambling, human trafficking, and ABC violations.
What do these teams do, how will the construction of a new facility in New Hanover County benefit their operations, and what will it cost?
Sheriff's Detective Division
The criminal investigation section is divided into seven specific units: general investigations, white collar crimes, environmental, school resource, cold case/homicide, crimes against children, and domestic violence.
Deputies selected to participate in this unit participate in specialized training related to arson investigation, interview and interrogation techniques, forensic statement analysis, and more.
The goal of the division is to "be a voice for [New Hanover County] victims," according to the webpage.
The crime scene investigation section is divided into five units: the crime scene investigation unit, forensic laboratory, evidence unit, cyber unit, and the sex offender registration unit.
Crime scene detectives working in these units receive training related to blood alcohol analysis, fingerprint comparison and identification, firearm serial number restoration, and more.
Investigators working within this section aim to process and collect evidence on scene that may aid investigations conducted by the division.
Vice and Narcotics Unit
The Vice and Narcotics Unit works to actively pursue narcotics and vice violators, ranging from street dealers to major narcotics traffickers, according to the unit's webpage.
The unit cooperates with other county, state, and federal agencies in order to pursue investigations that extend beyond county limits.
Detectives within this unit work to assist prosecuting attorneys prepare successful narcotics cases for court, according to the webpage.
What is the timeline of construction and what will it cost?
The New Hanover County Facilities Management Team expects that construction of the new facility will be complete in September 2024, said Alex Riley, the county's communications and outreach coordinator.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $7.6 million.
Where will the facility be located and why?
The new facility will be located at 3950 Juvenile Center Road, Castle Hayne, according to Lt. Jerry Brewer of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. This is the current location of the sheriff's office.
"It combines [the facility] with our main campus, which currently houses the jail, patrol, CSI, support services, and administration," Brewer said.
What prompted the need for a new facility and how will NHC residents benefit?
"We had been in our current location for over 20 years," Brewer said. "With the sheriff's office growing, we simply need a larger office space for our detectives and forensics lab."
Brewer said the forensics lab used by the sheriff's office is currently at the Wilmington Police Department.
"We will also have a larger training room than what we currently have," Brewer said.
"The new facility will house all our detectives, which will help with caseloads and communication," Brewer said. "In addition, they will be at our 3950 location, which will cut down on having to travel from downtown to this location."
The larger facility will also aid the sheriff's office in hosting special events for community driven initiatives such as the Citizens Academy, Brewer said.
The Citizens Academy is "designed to expose participants to many different aspects of law enforcement including the day-to-day operation of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office," according to the NHCSO webpage.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover County Sheriff's Office building new facility
