The Communities Foundation of Texas has gifted the City of Dallas $10 million in grant funding for a new police training academy.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie García spoke at a news conference on Thursday, noting that the current academy lacks adequate facilities for trainees, including showers and bathrooms.
“It is embarrassing, and it is not indicative of who we are,” he said, per The Dallas Morning News. “They deserve better. Our city deserves better.”
Due to a collaborative funding venture between the public and private sectors, the Dallas Police Department is anticipating the development of a “state-of-the-art” training center to be located at the University of North Texas at Dallas. UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said the new center “will be a national model for instruction and training in 21st-century policing philosophies and techniques.”
“This new facility will let our officers know that they are seen, that they are valued, and that they are appreciated for their noble sacrifice and service,” added García.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, DPD has been suffering from a longstanding officer storage, fielding only around 3,000 officers when a prior City analysis advises that a jurisdiction the size of Dallas needs roughly three officers for every 1,000 residents, putting an ideal staffing level at approximately 4,000 officers.
“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,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson during a news conference, per CBS News Texas.
The new facility is expected to cost $140 million. The State of Texas is contributing $20 million of taxpayer money, while the City of Dallas plans to raise $50 million through its upcoming bond program. The project needs an additional $60 million from the private sector to have an anticipated groundbreaking in 2025 and an opening by 2027.
“I can’t overstate the significance of the gift from CFT and the far-reaching impact it will have,” Mong said, according to the Oak Cliff Advocate. “The innovative, state-of-the-art facility will serve multiple law enforcement and public safety agencies in North Texas and beyond.”