City, county and state officials joined the community and law enforcement Thursday to celebrate the new Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.

The new building, which was previously a Winn Dixie, is part of a $50 million government complex being built along 22nd Avenue by the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.

Sheriff Billy Sollie said the new facility not only provides his department with the facilities of a modern law enforcement agency but also shows the commitment the community has toward supporting deputies.

“There’s been a chant across our nation for the past decade of ‘Defund the Police,’” he said. “Your board of supervisors didn’t listen to that. Your board of supervisors said build the building.”

Sollie said the differences between his department’s old location and the new building is astounding. Instead of one interview room, he said, the new building has four. The new building also has a sally port for deputies to examine vehicles under without exposing themselves to the elements and modern offices where deputies can do the important work of keeping the community safe.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department is proud of its new space, Sollie said, and was glad to be able to share it with the public.

“I only wish we could have done a tour of where we were and where we are now,” he said. “You would understand how happy we all are. It is truly a blessed opportunity for the men and women of law enforcement with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department to have this type of facility.”

Grand Jury reports on the conditions of the courthouse and sheriffs department have been calling attention to the need for new facilities for years. Supervisor Wayman Newell said the first grand jury report he received after being elected in 2008 called attention to it, and every grand jury report since has continued to call for change.

After unveiling the new sheriff’s department Tuesday and the new courthouse next-door on track to open around Labor Day, Newell said he is looking forward to seeing what the grand jury has to say.

“The board of supervisors won’t be getting any more reports saying we have inadequate facilities,” he said.

Supervisor Jonathan Wells said he and his fellow supervisors are proud to be able to provide the much needed facilities for Lauderdale County’s law enforcement. With Sollie planning to retire at the end of his term in January 2024, Wells said the board could think of no better way to honor his lifetime of service to his community by naming the new building the William “Billy” Sollie Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s going to be named after you, sheriff,” he said.

Meridian Community Development Director Craig Hitt, who previously served as a Lauderdale County supervisor, said the sheriff’s department’s facilities were an issue when he was on the board, and he is glad to see the need finally addressed.

“Board of supervisors, everyone who had a part in designing this building, congratulations,” he said. “You did a great job. You did it the right way and it’s something that Lauderdale County and the City of Meridian can be proud of for a long time coming.”