Most of us believe it is in the best interest of our county to do what is most efficient in running our governments. It is thus curious as to why the City of Greenfield opposes Hancock County building a jail downtown. Along with the building of the new jail would come moving various county facilities that would make county government more efficient in its criminal justice activities. Except for the new jail, all of these moves would involve existing buildings.
City officials suggest moving the jail to the former county home property. They point out that this would remove dangerous criminals from city streets, especially during transport from the jail. Isolating prisoners from a more congested city center also feels safer to city officials.
Why else are city officials against building a new, larger jail downtown? They point to the loss of tax revenue from the demolition of four or five homes. They also point to the danger of having a new jail closer to the Pennsy Trail.
Let us look at some of these arguments. According to an article in the Daily Reporter (“City officials against plan, Aug. 25, Page A1), the plan to build the jail downtown would remove “$5,000 to $10,000 in assessed evaluation” from city tax rolls. While significant, it is hardly an amount that should force the county to move the jail out of downtown. My guess is this would be made up by an apartment development in another part of central Greenfield or one or two developments on the north side of town.
As far as having the jail near or next to the Pennsy Trail, that is certainly an issue. This may make some people reluctant to use the trail. But proper construction including considerable fencing should reduce concern. Constructed well and with proper planning, there could be little recognition of the jail from the trail.
As far as moving the jail to the former county farm property, this seems especially ludicrous. Martinsville has the only county jail I know of located outside of downtown and the jail is still located within the city limits. It is not located as far out as the county farm here in Hancock County.
According to John Jessup, County Commissioner, if the jail is moved to the county farm, all county police and probation offices might best be served to move with it. This would double the cost of the project. Both city and county citizens would bear this cost. And city police officers would have to travel to that property for court proceedings.
This is a recurring theme with Hancock County. On the one hand, wanting to save a dime and spending hundreds of dollars. On the other, the NIMBY principle — in other words, Not in My Back Yard.
I moved here with my family in 1988. Somewhere in the first two years of living here a study was ordered to see what could be done with the large amount of traffic on S.R. 9. After numerous studies, we all know where that has gone.
The people of Hancock County consistently fail to repair structures and roadways in a timely manner. The Courthouse has been allowed to languish in a state of partial repair. Small amounts of money are thrown at the repairs leading the Courthouse to have constant maintenance issues.
And the beautiful Mason’s Lodge, at the northwest corner of Main and State, is in constant danger of destruction. Heavy truck traffic drives very close to a corner of the building several times a day seven days a week.
These beautiful buildings deserve better care. They are in danger of being permanently damaged. Putting off repairs leads to heavy amounts of money spent over the long haul.
This is true of trying to move the jail out of downtown. It is time for the people of Hancock County to realize it is necessary to pay for the upkeep of its property. Putting off maintenance or improvements only leads to higher costs down the road. And trying to move important government structures away from the center of the county only results in rising costs for everyone in the county.
Jim Matthews is a longtime resident of Greenfield. Send comments to dr-editorial@green fieldreporter.com.
