Sheriff substation coming to W.S.

Howell County Sheriff’s Office will soon have a footprint in Willow Springs. An outdoor sign is the only indicator so far of the coming substation, which will be located at 110 Bear Dr., Ste. 2. The sign has been sufficient to pique public interest, however, so Sheriff Brent Campbell took Howell County News on a tour of the as-yet empty interior on June 6. 

 

Once operational, the substation will not be manned around the clock, but will rather be a meeting place for sheriff’s deputies and citizens as needed. The investigations department of the HCSO will move to the Willow Springs location as well. There will be four or five desks and an interview room.

 

Citizens will continue to contact HSCO through the department phone lines, or 911, and will be able to interact with deputies in the substation, without requiring a drive to West Plains. 

 

Sheriff Campbell told the News the main idea behind the substations is to “bring resources” to the community. There is currently an operational substation in Mountain View, and the sheriff plans to launch others at other strategic geographic locations throughout the county. 

 

The existing HCSO facility in West Plains is “running out of room,” Campbell said. Both patrol and investigations staff numbers have doubled, according to the sheriff, so additional office space is needed. Once the investigations department moves to Willow Springs, the plan is to repaint and repair the old location. The space in Willow Springs will add over 900 square feet of office space to the HSCO. 

 

Willow Springs is home to two other law enforcement entities – Willow Springs Police Department and headquarters of Troop G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Campbell said a substation is not a duplication or replacement for either of these services. 

 

“The different entities serve different purposes,” he said. Deputies are in the Willow Springs area frequently as it is. 

 

Establishing the substations is an investment of taxpayer money. Rent, signage, furniture, utilities, and phone service for each one will be new line items in the department’s budget. Campbell said he justifies this expense because of the service the substations will bring to the citizens. According to the sheriff, ready access to the deputies in the Willow Springs area should improve citizen outcomes, interactions, and call response times. 

 

“Everyone’s talked about substations for years,” he added. 

 

At this time, there is no schedule for launching the Willow Springs substation. See a future edition for an update as it becomes available.