WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, WeatherSheriff's Department Moves into New, Bigger Home

For years, the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department has been cramming it's staff in an office behind the courthouse, but the finishing touches are being put in place and in the coming weeks the new state of the art facility will be fully operational.

"This is our main reception area," Monongalia County Director of Facilities Bobby Doyle showed off. "It's all bullet-proof. Bullet-proof walls, bullet-proof glass through compartments."

For more than a year, Doyle has worked on perfecting the new building and finally the day has come to get a look at all of that hard work.

"This is the chief's office," he added as we toured the building. "He's moving his stuff in as we speak. O.J. White is dealing with us right now to move everything into the building."

This building, much unlike the old one, has room for everyone, and then some.

Some of the new features include break rooms on each floor, male and female locker rooms, and even an on-site gym for the staff to use.  

It is not just the bells and whistles that make this building special, the new design and technology will make processing reports more efficient.

It is also safer because people in custody ay will not be in the same space as the public and staff.

"Whoever you arrest, you bring them in [ground level] here. You process them and get them in the back and ready for transport. Then you come over here and do your reports," as Doyle guided the way to the new evidence lockers and report room.

The detective unit also benefits and is getting a major upgrade.

Currently, it's in a basement with very little space, and will now it will have space to handle all of its needs.

"You have evidence lockers that you lock stuff up," Doyle explained the upgrade. "And other side is the evidence room that there is only one person that can take this out and that's on the other side."

If all goes as scheduled, the Sheriff's Department will begin the transition into the new building slowly over the next two weeks, starting with the administrative staff.

As the department moves, certain services will be stopped for about three weeks.

Those are concealed weapons permits, incident and accident reports, and fingerprints.