Photo Gallery of new Billie A. Hall Public Safety Center in Sand Springs

The City of Sand Springs recently moved into the new Billie A. Hall Public Safety Center, a $10.7 million facility in the Sheffield Crossing shopping center. The building houses the City’s police, municipal jail, 911 operations, north-side fire station, and court rooms.

Sandite Pride News was recently given a tour and photo-op by Police Chief Mike Carter.

The facility is named for Sand Springs native Billie Allen Hall, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in 1966. A special forces medic, Hall was stationed at Camp A Shau when it was attacked by North Vietnamese regiments. After losing both legs to a mortar strike, Hall refused treatment and instead worked to treat other soldiers and coordinate medical efforts until he succumbed to his injuries. He was 26 years old at the time.

The police station features memorial plaques for SSGT Hall, as well as for Assistant Chief of Police Jesse C. Huskey, the only Sand Springs police officer to ever die in the line of duty. There is also a commemorative plaque outside of the building dedicated to Sheffield Steel, which was located on those grounds for most of Sand Springs’s history. The flag pole in front of the building was relocated from the Steel Mill facilities.

All of the center’s operations were previously housed at the City Municipal Building in downtown, which is a century old. The crowded building is currently being remodeled in order to unify the various City operations that have been scattered to remote sites across town. The old downtown fire station is slated for demolition.

The new building features brand new forensic equipment, conference rooms, recreation spaces, state of the art evidence lockers, backup generators, and hardened rooms capable of protecting everyone in the facility from severe weather. The entire building is purpose-built to remove the inconveniences that officers and City workers dealt with at their previous quarters.

In addition to individual holding cells, there are two general population jail cells with restrooms, showers, televisions, and free phone stations. While many police departments charge hefty fees for phone calls, Chief Carter says he wants people to be able to make as many calls as necessary to arrange for their release so that they aren’t costing taxpayers more money by being incarcerated. Every inch of the cells are specially designed not to allow individuals to harm or hang themselves.

The City is planning on having an open house in October to allow citizens to tour certain areas of the building. The exact date and time have yet to be announced.