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Police propose using Gunn Park House as local child‑services, seek permission to pursue grants
Summary
Fort Scott Police Lt. Jason Eastwood asked the commission for permission to pursue funding to repurpose the Gunn Park House as a child-services/forensic-interview site to avoid transporting child victims to out-of-county centers and to provide a non‑police setting for interviews.
Fort Scott Police Department Lieutenant Jason Eastwood told the commission he wants to adapt the Gunn Park House into a local child‑services center that could host trauma‑informed forensic interviews and temporary care for children taken into custody. He said the department currently travels to Pittsburgh or Iola for forensic interviews and that a local facility could reduce stress on families and remove the need for children to be interviewed in a police station.
"If we can utilize this structure, not only can we satisfy an interview requirement for cases we work, but also we can provide a place owned by the city, operated by the police department to provide a comforting environment for a child that's been taken in needing care," Eastwood said. He provided an 18‑month snapshot showing police‑conducted forensic interviews and county totals and said the department would not ask the city for operating funds now; rather, he sought the commission's blessing to pursue grants and partner with existing child‑advocacy organizations.
Commissioners asked about building condition, potential use of seized‑asset funds for renovation, and shared interest in regional collaborations; the commission moved and voted to authorize police to pursue grant funding and other financial resources subject to staff follow‑up.
