Branson's new police station: On time, under budget, and built for the future

The ribbon cutting for Branson’s new Police Department Building at 1 Justice Street in Branson took place at 11:30 a.m. on December 3, 2025. Earlier this week, Chief Eric Schmitt was interviewed about the new building and what it holds for the future of Branson. The following interview was in a Q&A format with the Branson Globe (BG) asking the questions and Chief Schmitt (CHIEF)answering:

BG: Did it come in on time and under budget?

CHIEF: We did come in on time and under budget. We are still waiting for our final numbers but our estimate is approximately $900K under. We were able to use that to do the Dispatch Center project at the Pacific St. Water Tower.  That project is also nearly done, with interior construction complete and radio installation on schedule for early next year.

BG: What's your personal favorite in terms of the amenities that the new police station has and why?

CHIEF: I have several favorites:

●      The workout room: when you see it you will understand why

●      Both locker rooms, which were built to our 50-year growth plan

●      Patrol room, also built to our 30-year growth plan

●      Training/community room, which is extremely impressive and will allow us to attract top tier national trainers. It also doubles as a community room for potlucks and employee family birthday parties, etc.

●      Evidence/crime lab: We finally have an evidence area that will meet national standards and allow us to increase our efficiency in disposing of old evidence, etc.

To sum up why these are my favorite, two words, family and efficiency.  The entire project was done with a “family” focus, both our “blue” family and our employees’ families. For efficiency, everything was done to assist us in improving from our employee fitness, to our evidence processing, to our work flows and our future growth

BG: What's the most important thing you want people to know about the new police station?

CHIEF: In addition to its functionality, the most important thing about this building will be its legacy. My hope that the legacy is one of collaboration. From the community’s support of the Public Service Tax, to the support of our elected officials, to Alderman LeBlanc’s idea to purchase the White House, to the support of City Administration, to the work of the employee building committee with the architects, general contractor and owner’s rep, everyone collaborated to produce an incredible building that is functional, family focused, growth ready and aesthetically pleasing. I really think the community will be proud of this building, and we owe it to the overall collaboration on this project.

BG: What's the second most important thing you want people to know about the new police station?

CHIEF: That we were fiscally responsible. All of the above was accomplished significantly under budget because of the above collaboration.

BG: Will this facility handle Branson's future growth?

CHIEF: This project was built to our 30-year growth plan now, so we don’t need to change a thing or add significant construction when we hire more employees. Because of the cost savings in not having to do a “new build,” this existing building refurbishment allowed us to build out to our future needs now. This is significant because most law enforcement leaders will tell you that their new builds have been out grown within five to 10 years of completion. They then have to find the money to add on to their buildings. Even if the building was constructed for future additions, there is no guarantee that the funding will be there when it’s needed. Additionally, the furnishings are either more expensive or have been discontinued. The new BPD building avoids all of this and we can absorb another 30-plus officers and associated support staff, without having to change or build anything new. If we had explosive growth, we do have the ability to expand into the theater portion, which was largely untouched.

BG: Why is this location particularly good?

CHIEF: The location is perfect for us for two reasons. First, we are basically centered in the city.  This makes it more convenient for the public that needs to come to the building, as well as our office staff (think Command and Detectives) to get quickly to an emergency if patrol needs help. It also allows us to begin thinking about a “Drone as a First Responder” program, which can be housed and launched from the roof of the new station and be over any location in the city within three to five minutes. Second, it’s one of the highest points in the city, which is safer for our employees. If we had built in the original location on Forsyth, it would have been in a low spot, leaving our employees exposed to easy ambush.

BG: What do you think of the community support that this project has been given?

CHIEF: This all began with the overwhelming support of the community for the Public Service Tax. We cannot thank the community and our elected leaders enough for their support of this project. Our employees are overjoyed at what they are moving into and they are all extremely thankful for the community’s investment in them.