DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- UNT Dallas is receiving the largest grant in the school's history for construction of a law enforcement training center. UNT Dallas and Dallas Police are working together on the project.
Communities Foundation of Texas has announced a $10 million grant.
"The City of Dallas is second to none when it comes to generosity and public-private collaboration," says Communities Foundation of Texas Chief Executive Wayne White.
The police academy would cover five acres at the UNT Dallas campus. The training center would include classrooms, indoor and outdoor workout facilities and virtual reality training for recruits and veteran officers.
Right now, Dallas Police train in a location that was labeled "temporary" when it opened in 1990.
"Our officer needs have tripled which means there isn't enough room for bathrooms or showers for our recruits," says Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. "Our weight room can accommodate maybe six recruits at a time even though we've had up to 70 people in a class."
Garcia says placing the academy on the UNT Dallas campus would also help build relationships with faculty to collaborate on research and policy. The Caruth Police Institute at UNT Dallas would also move into the facility.
"This academy will equip our officers with the skills and mindset needed to navigate the challenges they face every day," Garcia says.
"We're now on the precipice of an exciting new era in law enforcement training in North Texas," says UNT Dallas President Bob Mong.
Mong says the partnership was driven by a sense of urgency about the conditions at the current training center.
"But to me, it was noble, even inspiring, how hard DPD trainers worked to make the most of this space," he says. "I admired the grit and determination of the cadets who worked so hard to get into the academy, persist through the academy and then go out and serve."
In addition to the grant from Communities Foundation of Texas, the state legislature has committed $20 million.
"In this country, where there's so much divisiveness, us working together in the City of Dallas, regardless of political affiliation, can be a true testament in terms of what should be going on in this country," says State Senator Royce West.
The City of Dallas would include $50 million as part of the bond package that will go to voters in May.
While the facility is being built for Dallas Police, Garcia and Mong say other departments in the area will be able to use it. Mong says the criminal justice program at UNT Dallas is growing, and the training center could attract more people to jobs in law enforcement.
"All this reflects a shared vision for 21st century law enforcement where subject matter experts teach current and best practices," he says. "It also reflects an important partnership between a university and city working hand-in-hand for a better community."
They expect to start construction in 2025 and open the center in 2027.
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