Jones County’s safe house has everything needed to house a family in time of crisis, and it is ready to be used.

Capt. Billy Mitchell of the Jones County’s Sheriff’s Department is the community liaison for the project. Mitchell said he does not want to disclose the exact location of the facility, but it is close by and is in a secure setting.

The guidelines for the safe house are simple and include no alcohol, smoking, or firearms on the property. The maximum stay in the facility is 48 hours.

“As long as the guidelines are met, it’s here to be used,” the captain said. He can be reached at the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, 986-3489.

Preparation for the safe house took more than a year of planning, moving, and permitting, and was the idea of Sheriff Butch Reece.

Reece said he had the idea of the safe house when the opportunity arose to utilize available FEMA trailers from the Katrina effort. The trailers were received with the aid of the U.S. Marshal Service. Jones County houses federal prisoners and in turn receives first chance at equipment and even furniture.

Mitchell was one of the officers who traveled to Alabama to pick up the trailer, which contains four bunk beds, a double bed, and a sofa that converts to another double bed. It came with most of the necessary furniture but needed dishes, linens, small appliances, and a stocked pantry.

The Exchange Club of Jones County partnered with the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and has held two yard sales and three bingos to raise money for the safe house. In addition to keeping the pantry and refrigerator supplied, the club is paying the utility bills for the trailer.

“This all fell in place,” Mitchell explained. “Now when we have a family in need of a place to stay, we won’t have to take them to the Gray Motel or find other lodging. This trailer will sleep six comfortably.”

Mitchell said the safe house may be utilized for families in the midst of a domestic crisis as well as circumstances such as house fires. The captain said there is no way to guess the number of times a safe house is needed, but he and Reece see it as a way to reach out to the community.

“This will be a real helping hand for people in a time of need. We appreciate the support we’ve received from the community and the help from the Exchange Club to help fill this need,” he added.