The new Pender County Law Enforcement Center is the county's biggest investment into public safety to date. Designed to anchor the Pender County Sheriff's Office through the next few decades of growth, the new facility will expand jail capacity, modernize 911 systems and replace buildings that the sheriff's office says are decades out of date.
100,000 square feet
The size of the new law enforcement center, making it the county’s largest facility.
$65 million
The total cost of the project, roughly $58 million of which came from a bond.
15 years
The amount of time discussions around the need for a new law enforcement facility have been taking place.
Jan. 1, 2027
The expected full opening date.
232
The number of beds at the new facility, which is more than double the current jail’s capacity of 92 beds.
$50
The
amount the Pender County Sheriff’s Office pays per inmate per day to house inmates in other counties due to capacity issues at the current jail.
25
The number of new positions required to operate the jail, which represents a significant personnel investment to get the facility online.
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 7 things to know about Pender County's new law enforcement center
