GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — Months have passed since losing their colleague and friend, but the Scott County Sheriff’s Department will never forget Caleb Conley.
“We think of him every day,” said Sheriff Tony Hampton.
Deputy Conley was killed during a traffic stop on I-75 in May. He left behind a wife and two kids.
At an event Friday morning, Conley was top of mind.
“I know that Deputy Conley loves this right now, and we wish he could be here with us to be a part of it,” said Hampton.
Gathered on a plot of land in Georgetown, deputies and community members watched as leaders broke ground on a new facility for the sheriff’s department and county clerk.
“Something like this is so good for the morale of all of our employees, deputies and office staff,” said Hampton, “Just to have a nice place to work.”
The new facility will accommodate a growing sheriff’s department and house more of its units under one roof. Located on Betsy Way, the new department will be just yards away from Great Crossing High School. It will also serve as an additional voting center.
“It just makes sense,” said Hampton.
Renderings include space for a second county clerk’s office as well.
“Because of the population growth in Scott County, we have been bursting at the seams in the downtown courthouse for some time now,” said County Clerk Rebecca Johnson.
Johnson said locals will no longer struggle to find parking like they do downtown because the new facility will have ample parking and a drive-thru window.
“Just like you might pull ahead at McDonald's to wait for hot fries, you can now take care of those taxes and then pull ahead, hop out of the car, and put that decal right on the plate and be on your way,” said Johnson.
From the sheriff to the clerk, expansion comes at the perfect time.
“The last census had Scott County at over 57,000 in population, and I think it's warranted at this point,” said Johnson. “I think it will be well-utilized by this branch office.”
Even as the community grows and time goes on, Caleb Conley will be remembered in the space forever.
“There will be something special when we open this, and we'll reveal that later,” said Hampton.
According to Hampton, the project is expected to take 395 days.
