DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Volusia County Sheriff's Office will next month start moving evidence into a new facility near Daytona Beach that is a long time in coming.
- 20,000 square foot facility near Daytona Beach
- Replaces a facility built in 1938
- 20-foot shelves, secure room for drugs, guns and jewelry
The new building increases the storage space for evidence in cases by 50 percent, is not at risk for flooding, and has state of the art equipment to minimize the risk of tampering.
The need for a the new $12 million facility was known for years. In 2015, Spectrum News reported on the condition of the old building:
"Snakes, cockroaches and mold make their home in the Volusia County sheriff's office's evidence building. Now the sheriff wants a new one -- before evidence is compromised."All of the evidence from Volusia County’s major cases are inside a building built in 1938 as an old farm prison.
"Today, employees are running out of space.
"The paint is cracked, the roof is leaking and sheriff’s employees are worried the dilapidated building could compromise the evidence."
The sheriff's office pushed for building funding in 2017.
During a tour of the facility for reporters Wednesday, a spokesman said the building so bad that if a plan to get something built wasn't on the drawing board last year, they could have lost state accreditation.
The building is 20,000 square feet in size, with 20-foot shelves. There will be a separate room for drugs, jewelry and guns that will require two people to access it.