KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Knox County Sheriff Jimmy Jones told commissioners Thursday night, if a safety center isn't built taxpayers will continue paying about $190 a day for mentally ill inmates.

"Normally, we have anywhere from 18 to 20% of our population has some type of mental illness, again these are the misdemeanor these are not the criminally insane who commit heinous crimes," said Jones.

The facility would act as a jail diversion program and crisis stabilization operation.

"We think by putting these two services in the same building about 40% of the cost is already covered because it's truly medical psychiatric service that's reimbursable by the insurance companies," said Jerry Vagnier of the Helen Ross McNabb Center.

The proposed center would be located off Central Avenue and be a new place for officers to take the mentally ill and non violent offenders - cutting down population at the detention center and transportation costs.

"We spend about 750,000 to one million dollars a year transporting people back and forth to the city county building to this facility," said Jones.

Sheriff Jones says that his officers are not in the business of treating or caring for the mentally ill and many repeat offenders need some other form of help.

"There's a large number of people who are publicly intoxicated who get picked up. Actually, it's a larger percentage and those folks don't need to be incarcerated. They need an alternative intervention in the community," said Vagnier.