GENTRY — The police department in Gentry welcomed community members and business leaders to its new station on Thursday, June 23, offering tours of the building and refreshments. Business leaders met with the Gentry Chamber of Commerce in the new facility late in the afternoon and were welcomed by Keith Smith, Gentry's police chief.
Smith told community members and business leaders that his department was there to serve the city and its citizens and encouraged people to call him with any questions or concerns. He thanked all those involved in purchasing and providing a new home for his department.
The city acquired the building which was once home to a Gentry branch of Centennial Bank and, after slight modifications, made it the new home of the Gentry Police Department. The building is located on East Third Street (Arkansas Highway 12), just east of the Highways 12 and 59 intersection.
And police couldn't be more pleased with the new facility. The old police station, adjacent to the city council chambers and Benton County-West Court on the corner of Main Street and N. Collins Ave., lacked space and security for officers and for criminal records and evidence storage. The new facility has plenty of room for the officers to work in a secure environment and has large bank vaults for storage. It also has a meeting room which is used for officer training.
New signage was placed on the building and the old bank sign in the front is being modified to make it more of a monument-style sign directing people to the new home of Gentry Police Department.
The Chamber of Commerce held its June meeting in the police department's training room on June 23 and discussed the Freedom Festival, upcoming chamber events and other possible events and improvements which could draw people to Gentry.
General News on 07/06/2016