OMAHA- The Douglas County Sheriff's Department is hoping to use federal COVID relief funds to renovate one of their buildings into a mental health and wellness facility.

The building is currently owned by the Douglas County Treasurer, and is located off of 156th and Maple Streets. The building has had several renovations done over the years, but currently stands empty.

Heather Rohwer, a crime scene investigator in Douglas County, said the department would benefit greatly from a health and wellness center. "There are days that you're going call to call to call to call. Things that, you know, stick with you that you will never forget for as long as you're here," said Rohwer.

If the funds are allocated, the department plans on hiring several counselors to work in the building. Law enforcement and employees of the Sheriff's office would be able to go there and seek counseling whenever they feel like it, which many in the department believe would take away the stigma surrounding therapy.

The Department doesn't currently plan on using any taxpayer funds to renovate the space, and is instead relying entirely on the ARPA funds and drug forfeiture money. Chief Deputy Wayne Hudson stated, "We're going to take that money that we captured from drug dealers that were poisoning in our neighborhood and put it back to something good, which is training for our employees."

The proposed training space will be held in large classrooms, and the Department also plans on building a gym and mock crime scene spaces for CSI training.

The sheriff's office stated that its responsibilities have been growing alongside the expansion of the new juvenile justice center, so they want to make sure everyone has the "best training and support."

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