Drug money funds new police substation for Floyd County Sheriff's Office

FLOYDS KNOBS, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Floyd County Sheriff's Office is using money seized from drug raids to open a new police substation.

Construction is underway in the Highlander Point shopping center off Highway 150 to re-purpose building space next door to Hello Gorgeous Salon and Spa.

"Our goal was to bring the officers out to the community, and Highlander Point was certainly a hub of Floyd County," Floyd County Sheriff Frank Loop said. "And also, if they get a call for service, it's faster to get to Georgetown or Floyds Knobs and Greenville than from New Albany."

Loop said he's budgeted $20,000 of forfeiture funding for the two year lease. Floyd County is one of the smallest in size in Indiana, and none of the surrounding counties operate substations. But Loop said he's out of space in downtown New Albany having hired 20 new officers, between corrections and the sheriff's office, in recent years. The Highlander Point substation will not be staffed 24/7. It is to be used by deputies in the field needing space to do reports.

"If there's an officer here, (the public) will see their car out here, and they know they can stop by," Loop said. "If there's no officer here, there will be directions on the door, and we will dispatch an officer here to talk to the person."

New Floyd County Sheriff's Office substation

"The fact that they will be running back and forth at night makes it nice," Hello Gorgeous owner Wendy Ramsey said. "I'm here late sometimes, so definitely that makes me feel better."

The new substation fills what was once the spa side of Ramsey's shop. She said it closed in 2017. Loop hopes to open the new substation during the first week of May.

"Some of us wanted a Smoothie King ... but honestly, we're happy to have them," Ramsey said with a smile. "They'll have a place to get their haircut, for sure."