A big U-Haul sits in a lot across the street from the BrookhavenPolice Department and a dumpster occupies the detectives’ parkingspots, all in preparation for this weekend that will see the finalsteps of the department’s move to its new office.

Brookhaven Police Chief Pap Henderson said the move is onschedule and the new office on Highway 51 will be open for businesson Monday. The police department is moving into the old MississippiHighway Patrol building.

“We’re actually a little ahead of schedule for Saturday andSunday, it looks like we might get it done tomorrow,” Hendersonsaid Friday.

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said his department, whichwill be taking over the space that BPD will be vacating, saidtheirs will be a gradual move as he begins to figure out where hewants to put things.

“We’re going to have to swap over our phone systems and things,”he said. “It’ll probably be a little while before we’re all settledin.”

Henderson said the best part of the move for his department,beside the brand new facility, of course, will be having a buildingall to themselves.

“We’re not looking forward to the moving process, but thatamount of space, we’ll be really glad to have it,” he said. “And Iknow it will be a good thing for the sheriff’s department to havemore space too.”

And it will take a little adjustment for a lot of people whohave day-to-day dealings with the police department, Hendersonsaid.

“It’ll be different for people to travel over there instead ofhere, and there will be some changes just getting used to it,” hesaid.

But Henderson added the assurance that the move will not affectthe relationship BPD has with the sheriff’s department.

“That’s never going to happen with the sheriff and I,” he said.”It’ll be a little different, but it’ll still be that he’ll be ableto come see me anytime and I’ll be able to come see him anytime.Our departments will still work together just as well as ever.”

Rushing agreed that the symbiosis between the two will be asstrong as ever.

“It’ll just make it long distance,” he said.