OAKWOOD, Ga. — After the federal government completed a $68 million purchase of land in Hall County for a future mega U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, city leaders are preparing for the big changes.
Oakwood police officers told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen that there’s not an emergency near the future facility just yet, but there could be some day.
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“We’re concerned about that. We’re planning for a worst-case scenario,” City Manager B.R. White said.
White says plans are in the works to purchase more protective gear for the police department, including riot gear because of the potential for protests at the facility along Atlanta Highway.
“If I was a business owner, I’d be saying, ‘Whoa! I don’t want that right across from my business,’” visitor Vee McGuire said.
The federal government has completed its purchase of the 66 acres of land and the structures that sit on it, which will be retrofitted into an ICE detention facility.
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There’s a string of shops and restaurants right across from the Oakwood facility, a handful of neighborhoods along the sides, and the busy street out front.
White says it will cost at least $15,000 for the extra equipment.
He’s not sure yet how much it will cost for extra shifts and overtime for officers, but says it will be necessary.
“We need to keep whoever is protesting safe, keep our officers safe, and keep the citizens safe. We can’t ignore it,” White said.
The first detainees could arrive in a couple of months.
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