By Devyani Chhetri
Source The Dallas Morning News
After decades of renting space to train Dallas police cadets, city and state officials joined to kick off the design phase of a regional police academy Thursday.
Mayor Eric Johnson said the new facility represents the city’s dedication to public safety and would revolutionize “efforts to ensure that Dallas is the safest major city in America.” The kickoff event was held at the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy.
The new police academy, projected to cost $150 million, is expected to be constructed by 2027 and will serve other local regional departments besides the Dallas Police Department. It will replace the current training facility, often knocked for wear and tear amid mold and odor from years of sweat and lack of storage.
The academy is in a rented space in the Red Bird area and was always meant for temporary use.
“It’s a really important message to send to the community that we are serious at the state, serious at the city level, of keeping them safe,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.
The new facility will bring some permanence into the picture and upgrades in training infrastructure, such as expanded gym facilities, communal spaces and classrooms, and new training technology.
The center will be built on five acres of the University of North Texas Dallas campus in southern Dallas, with a park next to it.
In August, the City Council awarded HKS Inc., an architectural firm, the bid to oversee the academy’s design. The firm is also in charge of “facility programming” and “construction administration services.”
The academy will be built in collaboration with UNT Dallas. The city received $20 million from the Texas Legislature and $10 million through Communities Foundations of Texas, which also supports The Dallas Morning News’ community-funded journalism.
An infusion of $50 million will come from the 2024 bond passed in May.
The news of the academy has not been without its share of criticism. During an April 10 council meeting, residents came to the public hearing and urged voters to vote against the bond proposition, citing fears of fueling criminalization.
At the time, Tamara Neal, a resident from southern Dallas said residents did not want police to open the new facility and “sit on top of a community in the ZIP code 75241.”
“We do not want to see DPD fueling the criminalization of marginalized people that are entering the criminal justice system in District 8 every day,” Neal said. “We don’t want you to play with our democracy.”
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