Editor’s note: This letter, dated April 28, was addressed to ‘The Editor Republic Monitor’ in reference to the Joint Justice Center.
Dear Sir,
I am a senior resident that lives on the outskirts of Perry County. How will this affect response time to county residences? Currently, the Sheriff’s Office is on a state highway with two lanes and a center turn lane that does allow people to pull over out of the Sheriff’s car moving at high speeds going north on Highway 61.
I would like to know how moving the Sheriff Department off a main throughfare into a business, residential and a SCHOOL ZONE with speed limits of 15 mph during school hours will affect response time for the county residence. We depend on the Sheriff Department to be able to reach the county residents in a reasonable response time.
Why? I really think the decision to move the Sheriff Department into the center of town was motivated by profits rather than the best interest of the city, especially the families that live in a school district. How will this affect their property values? Who wants to buy on a busy street, which St. Joseph already was, but now the city and county want to turn that whole neighborhood into a racetrack?
There will be a major accident of some kind in the future because of this decision and it will be devastating for a family because it will involve a child that had nothing better to do than to play in their yard and just get up and go to school. Unfortunately, the decision to put this Joint Justice Center just off the Square of Town will result in a disaster. I pray for the family that it affects because, “the” all mighty dollar was the deciding factor as the location of the Center. It certainly was not a vote put to the people of Perry County.
Because anyone using their intelligent side of their brain would not be putting the city of Perryville and Perry County into the position of being sued when this disaster happens.
In this citizen’s opinion, I wonder who came out on top because it is not the citizens of Perryville or Perry County. We will suffer in response time to this Justice Center location. And unfortunately, a lot of accidents along St. Joseph, through the school zone to access Hwy 51 to access the other fast roads to the county. It is a FUTURE FACT waiting to happen. I am just sorry it is our residents of the city and county that will suffer.
Why was there not a vote put to the public when it is affecting so many people? Almost 19,000. A decision of this magnitude ought to have been made by the residents of Perry County rather than just the “FEW.” This decision is going to be a major SNAFU.
Sheila Mercer,
St. Mary
