Officials say the last time Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center had a major security system update was back in 1991, when the facility was built.
“It entails the intercom system, the video system, and cameras which is our analog system… infrastructure, we’ve had some fiber optics replaced. 2001 we made some small upgrades,” said Captain of Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center, Allen Barr.
Captain Barr says the much needed changes will help assure everyone’s safety.
“As technology has moved on – it kind of left us behind…it’s left us vulnerable in security areas…communication monitoring and we’ve kind of had to formulate how we do business around the poor equipment that we have,” added Captain Barr.
On top of the camera system being out dated, Captain Barr says there are more things to be done as well.
“It will allow our touch screen panels to be more realistic, and easier to function in all three buildings,” said Captain Barr.
However, before the detention center can move forward with the security upgrade…they have to seek approval from the council to receive about $2.7 million for those much needed changes. The facility is seeking the funds from the Virginia Resource Authority to do so during a 10 year bond.
“They’ll send a bill to the jail, and then the participating members of the jail which are Clarke, Frederick, Fauquier, and the city of Winchester will send our payments to the jail, and they’ll send it to the Virginia Resource Authority. Of that amount the city is about 36%, so at most our payment will be about $128,000 a year,” said Chief Financial Officer & Director of Support Services for the city of Winchester, Mary Blowe.
Council members say are still in the beginning stages of the process, so a date as to when the upgrades will happen has not been finalized yet.
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