WILLISTON - Tommy Rivers, former mayor of Williston, said the town has needed a new police station for at least 25 years.
After moving into an old SCE&G office and spending three months making renovations, the town finally has one.
City and county officials and Williston residents gathered outside the new office on Main Street Friday morning for a short program, ribbon-cutting and tour of the new station. Rivers said the event signifies a much-needed change.
"I can't tell you how many times we've been to look at buildings and see how other people do it," Rivers said. "The mayor and town council pulled this off, so it's a wonderful day and building for Williston."
During the tour, Lt. John Griffin explained that the building includes an office for the animal control and code enforcement officer, and offices for road officers, the lieutenant, sergeant and chief.
Other rooms include the squad room, where officers can fill out their paperwork, and on the other side of the building, an area is set aside for an administrative assistant who helps residents who need to file or request reports or need to speak to an officer. The building also includes a training room and break room.
Rodney Pruitt, chief of police, said the new station has turned out to be a blessing more than a necessity. Pruitt said they were able to function where they were less than a mile down the road. However, when the building became available, the department was able to obtain the building through the city and step into a positive situation.
Pruitt became chief in October, and said he still has a lot to learn to man Williston's seven-officer force that is expected to grow. For now, he said he is excited about the exposure that the new location gives the department.
"It gives people a chance to see us a lot better, to wave us down, or to just speak," Pruitt said. "I'm excited about where we are and where we're headed. We have a lot of plans in the works, and we can't wait to get started."
Mayor Jason Stapleton added that the new location allows the officers to have a stronger presence in the community.
"We're really looking forward to them settling into this building and continuing to serve our community out of it."
The police station is located at 12710 Main St. For more information, call 803-266-7011.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.