Boone County’s longtime sheriff is touting the new $20-million sheriff’s office regional training center in Columbia.
Last Saturday’s grand opening drew hundreds to the 50,000 square feet facility. Sheriff Dwayne Carey joined host Fred Parry in-studio this weekend on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” program:
“And there’s two buildings that are connected by basically a covered enclosed hallway. One is the training center itself. The other is the tactical range. Roughly around $20-million is what it took,” Sheriff Carey says.
The state contributed $4-million for the project, and there was county money as well. Bonds paid for the rest. The center also includes a 160-seat training room, a 100-yard indoor gun range, classrooms and a driving simulator.
Meantime, there are currently 17 illegal immigrants being held in the Boone County jail on various charges, according to Sheriff Carey. Boone County’s longest-serving sheriff spoke Saturday on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable”:
“And all of them are in custody for heinous, you know very serious felonies. Whether it be you know kidnapping, robbery, unlawful use of a weapon. I mean none of it is for you know a DWI or DUS or whatever,” he says.
Sheriff Carey tells listeners some are also charged with statutory sodomy or rape. The sheriff says his office does and has always cooperated with ICE and says his office is statutorily required to reach out to ICE. While Boone County’s jail currently has 245 total beds, the sheriff says they stay at about 200 beds and house more than 200 other inmates in 11 other county jails.
The sheriff also says there are currently 32 inmates in the Boone County jail who are charged with murder. You can listen to Fred Parry’s full interview with Sheriff Carey here.