New Dallas Police training academy gets a $10 million boost
DALLAS- An economic effort to fund the Dallas Police Department's new training facility got a $10 million investment Thursday.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia said his force's training is not lacking, but the facility they lease at 5310 Red Bird Center Drive is not the standard for cadets.
"There isn't enough room for bathrooms or showers for our recruits," Garcia said.
DPD members emphasized his assessment of the facility in a pre-produced video stressing the need for a better training space.
The department agreed to a lease at the current facility in 1990. Currently priced at $1 million annually, Garcia's officers are still there almost 34 years later.
The police chief called their training location an embarrassment as he talked about officers hungry to create a more authentic experience not available within their walls.
"Recently, our officers spent $4,000 on lumber and supplies to build our own makeshift reality-based training scenario room," he said.
Redefining space and change appear close for future cadets with a DPD and UNT Dallas partnership. The new Law Enforcement Training Center at UNT Dallas will be built for an estimated $140 million.
Funding for the project is a public-private venture. The state's contribution is $20 million. $50 million will come from taxpayers once the city council agrees to put the measure on the ballot and if voters agree in May.
Thursday's announcement heralded a multi-million dollar Communities Foundation of Texas grant toward building the new academy on five acres.
"We have received a lead gift for this police academy, a transformative gift of $10 million from the Community Foundation of Texas to help us get this deal done," Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said.
Fundraisers have to raise around $60 million to begin construction in 2025. Police want to be in the facility with recruits two years later.
The city council and UNT Dallas' have to sign off on DPD's new lease. It's a 40-year deal that costs $1 annually.