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New TC criminal justice facility to be named for DeWaltBy Carter ThompsonTexas City SunTEXAS CITY - The newcriminal justice center, with construction to begin later this week, will bear the name of former longtime Police Chief Rankin DeWalt. Wings of the facility will be named in honor of former Chief Joe Standley and current Chief Jerry Purdon.The city commission Wednesday approved the naming of the center, which will house the police department, municipal court and department of emergency management once completed. Groundbreaking on the facility, located at the end of 10th Street and Ninth Avenue North, will be Friday at 11 a.m. The state-of-the-art center will feature cells for 60 to 80 inmates, quite an improvement over the 25-prisoner capacity at the existing city jail.Mayor Chuck Doyle said the naming the center in honor of the chiefs had the overwhelming support of the police department.Families of the former chiefs, who are deceased, have yet to be informed of the honor. City leaders said the families will have the final say on the matter.In a related matter, DeWalt’s name will be removed from the shooting range on the Bay Street Extension, following the wishes of his family.The city has a policy of naming facilities only after elected leaders, but an exception was made in the case of the criminal justice center. The commission approved the measure in a 6-0 vote, with Commissioner Carl Sullivan absent from the meeting.“I have not had anyone question this,” said the mayor. “It has been a strongly endorsed concept.”“Rankin DeWalt, although not an elected official and a paid employee, did as much to preserve the safety and dignity of Texas City in a time of need as any person in Texas City before or since,” said Commissioner Larry Edrozo
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Texas City Sun
Texas City, Texas, US
Thu, Mar 13, 1997
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USA 30 Mar 2025
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