CPD regional training center provides permanent location

The facility houses new technology, such a firearms simulator.

By Alicia Stice

Published Nov. 17, 2009

Correction appended

On Monday afternoon, the Columbia Police Department hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a training facility that would allow officers to train with new technology, a CPD news release stated.

The new Columbia Police Regional Training Center is located at 5001 Meyer Industrial Drive.

Mayor Darwin Hindman, CPD Chief Kenneth Burton and City Manager Bill Watkins spoke at the event. Several City Council members were also in attendance.

CPD Deputy Chief Tom Dresner said CPD is very proud of the new training facility and will no longer have to look for a place to hold training for 80 officers.

"It's hard to describe how excited we are to have our own place," Dresner said in the news release. "I have been here nearly 25 years, and during that time, police training has always been at a borrowed or rented location. That has finally changed. We're now going to be at the location of our choice."

CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said with the new training facility, CPD could exponentially increase the training of its officers. It gives CPD the ability to bring nationally renowned trainers to Columbia.

Haden also said it will also allow CPD to hold training for smaller law enforcement agencies nearby. Without the facility, these agencies would have to send officers out of the state for training.

"We're definitely getting more bang for our buck," Haden said.

Hindman praised the facility for its up-to-date technology, including a smart board in one of the classrooms.

"We can and should be proud of our police department," Hindman said.

The building is named in honor of Robert M. Lemone, who donated the land for the training facility. Watkins said without Lemone's constant work on the project, it would not have come into fruition.

Construction on the training center began October 2008. The building is decorated with police memorabilia, including a protective vest CPD Officer Shelly Jones was wearing when she was shot at point blank range.

Watkins said the creation of the training center was approved in 2005 and originally planned based on $1 million, though the final cost was substantially higher.

The training center is more than 9,500 square feet and houses two offices, four classrooms, a large garage and an outside training area, the release stated.

The training center features the PRISm firearms simulator, donated by the Columbia Police foundation, the news release stated. It will house a driving simulator, which will be purchased through a Byrne Grant.

Following the ceremony, attendees of the ceremony were invited to test the firearms simulator. Burton said he couldn't overstate the importance of the firearms simulator.

Haden said the simulator would help officers learn to deal with different scenarios they might encounter.

The simulator works like a life-sized video game and allows the instructor to control the outcome of various scenarios based on the trainee's actions.

Haden said CPD used to borrow an older firearms simulator, but it became outdated and hasn't been used recently.

"It allows officers to be engaged and practice in the moment what they would do," Haden said.