Gov. Rick Snyder, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced the reopening of the Mound Road correctional facility to consolidate five police lock-ups into this single facility.
Craig, who called the move "a step toward constitutional policing," says the consolidation will free up 41 police officers currently responsible for detainees to patrol city streets.
The new facility will also serve as the location for all arraignment hearings, according to Judge Michael Talbot of the 36th District Court.
The site has also been considered as an alternative location for a new Wayne County jail after county officials halted construction of a planned new facility on Gratiot due to cost overruns and design issues. That option apparently remains on the table.
"We encourage Wayne County to look at that offer," Snyder said after the DPD news conference. "It would be an excellent solution."
The Mound Road correctional facility had been a state prison until it closed in 2012.
