Bay St. Louis Police Department Unveils New Chapter

Big Buzz Blog - March 2024

On Friday, March 22, the City of Bay St. Louis officially unveiled the much-anticipated police headquarters. 

- by Kirby Rhodes

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After Hurricane Katrina washed away the old police headquarters building on Court Street in 2005, the department was moved to an old building on the corner of Main Street and Highway 90. However, in 2018 an inspection disclosed the presence of black mold, and that building was demolished in 2020. The police force was once again relocating.

​Officers spent a couple of years housed inside the training room at the Station 1 Fire House on Main Street, but they quickly outgrew that space and moved into the first floor of the City Hall building. To say quarters were cramped was a considerable understatement. A staff of over 30 people was crammed into 1,500 square feet of space. Current police chief Toby Schwartz jokingly said they used the same room for lunch, dinner, interviews, and meetings.
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Chief Toby Schwartz welcoming everyone to the ceremony.

 
Officers and employees of the police department were able to take a deep breath after transitioning to their new building in October of 2023. This new 10,000-square-foot building includes separate rooms for interviewing, training, and meetings. It even has a fully equipped kitchen with tables and chairs for everyone to enjoy their meals.
 
Mayor Mike Favre said, “Finally, our police department has a home.”
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Mayor Mike Favre

Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Keith Davis

​This new building wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of many individuals, including former police chief Gary Ponthieux Jr., state Representative Brent Anderson, and Senator Mike Thompson. Over $4 million in state funds and $1.5 million in local funds were spent to build a state-of-the-art building Bay St. Louis citizens can be proud of.  Engineering and designing services were provided by local businesses Chiniche Engineering and Surveying and Edward H. Wikoff Architects. 
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Rep. Brent Anderson

Sen. Mike Thompson

​The station is named in honor of former police chief Douglas J. Williams, who served as chief of police from 1977 to 1984 and was the first black chief in the state of Mississippi. Four of Williams’ five daughters and other family members attended the ribbon-cutting to represent their father and his legacy.  A plaque in the lobby commemorates the many individuals and businesses responsible for making the new police department possible. 
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​In the patrol room, two handmade wooden chairs crafted by Sergeant Aaron Jones stand in remembrance of fallen officers Branden Estorffe and Steven Robin. There is memorabilia scattered throughout the department, but the chairs are a persistent reminder of the sacrifice men and women in blue face daily. During the ceremony, Keith Davis, deputy commissioner of operations for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said, “We can be proud of the facility and equipment, designed to help officers do their jobs to their best ability each day.”
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Hand-crafted chairs honoring Sgt. Steven Robin and Ofc. Branden Estorffe.

​In addition to dedicated space for report-writing, the new building includes a sally port, a supply and equipment storage room, an evidence room, ammunition room, and two holding cells.  All this space allows the police officers to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Seventeen-year police veteran Scott Armentrout said, “It’s awesome to have our own home and be able to use the space exactly how we need.” 
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Patrol room

​​Congratulations to the Bay St. Louis Police Department and the City of Bay St. Louis for creating and unveiling such a beautiful building and paying tribute to those who deserve to be recognized.
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Kitchen and break room

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Holding cells

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Training room

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Meeting room

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Chief Schwartz's office

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Evidence processing room

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