By Joanna Putman
Police1
DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department has a new training facility in the works. It just received a $10 million boost, CBS Texas reported.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia has emphasized the need for the new facility, saying that the space the department currently leases meets the bare minimum standard to accommodate recruit’s training needs.
“Recently, our officers spent $4,000 on lumber and supplies to build our own makeshift reality-based training scenario room,” Garcia told CBS Texas.
The proposed new space, the Law Enforcement Training Center at UNT Dallas, will cost an estimated $140 million, according to the report. The funding will come from both public and private sectors, with $20 million allotted by the state and $50 million from taxes (if voters pass a ballot measure).
The city of Dallas announced Feb. 8 that it would also receive a grant from the Communities Foundation of Texas.
“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 stated.
