Regional Law Enforcement Training Center passes legislative hurdle

Legislative bodies in St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson and St. Louis Counties pass plan

A news conference celebrating progress on the Regional Law Enforcement Training Center is planned after Jefferson County Monday night became the fourth and final legislative body to approve the agreement.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon, and Franklin County Presiding Commissioner Dave Schatz, and leaders of local law enforcement will update the media and answer questions on the next steps toward building the facility on Wednesday, August 27 at 9:30 a.m., just prior to the East-West Gateway regular meeting at Number One Memorial Drive in downtown St. Louis.

The four leaders will recap how their legislative bodies have now approved an intergovernmental agreement covering site selection, construction, and operation of the facility. "We want to applaud the legislative bodies who got this approved," Ehlmann says.

Among the provisions of the plan:

• Eight-member governing commission with four members from St. Louis County, two from St. Charles County, one from Jefferson County and one from Franklin County
• Commission to select a site near the demographic center of region
• Commission is the recipient of a state grant for construction costs
• Public bidding process for construction

The center will offer training sponsored by the member counties which will be available to all law enforcement in their counties and beyond, including the County and Municipal Police Academy, operated by St. Louis County. There will be both initial and continuing education training for all police officers in the region.

The $50 million state grant awarded by the Missouri Department of Public Safety will be used for building construction. Conceptual plans for the facility include replicas of an urban street and a home interior for real-world training scenarios, as well as virtual reality simulator rooms, traditional classrooms, simulator spaces and a specialized firing range capable of integrating vehicle-based firearms training.