Police department moves into third new building in eight years

BATESVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) - Three different buildings in eight years.

The Batesville Police Department has moved into three different buildings since its establishment in 2015.

Its latest move has taken the police department off Industrial Drive and moved to St. Louis Street.

Police Chief Alan Cockrill explained Bad Boy Mowers, located just across the street from the department’s Industrial Drive location, had expressed interest in purchasing the building, and that’s the reason for the latest move.

“They were out of expansion room and still growing. They hit the mayor up about purchasing that property from the city,” Chief Cockrill said.

The chief said the department is still unpacking boxes but is open for business in its new facility.

There have been some items in the move that must be handled with kid gloves to ensure an investigation isn’t jeopardized.

“Our main problem is moving evidence. There’s a very strict chain of custody to make that evidence still eligible to be presented in court,” Cockrill said.

The police department’s initial location was near the downtown area, but after its move to Industrial Drive, the chief said it took away some of their connections to the community.

“When we first started, we had a very active foot patrol program and bike patrol. As we moved outside of town, that kind of went away,” Cockrill explained.

Moving back into the heart of town is something that excites Cockrill, and thinks it will help them get more involved with the people of Batesville.

“This move I think will help us get back in touch with the public. We’re a lot easier to stop and talk to now than we were two miles out of town,” Cockrill added.

The department plans to stay in its new building for years to come.

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