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Fulton wants to build new police academy
The Atlanta Police Foundation did ask Fulton County leaders to join Atlanta’s public safety training center in DeKalb County, but financially, they say, it makes sense to build their own. They say this plan has been in the works long before Atlanta’s facility was announced.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County is making plans for a new public safety training center, but this is not Atlanta's controversial facility that critics have deemed "Cop City". Fulton County leaders say the decision to create their own comes down to cost.
"All of this pre-dates COVID and pre-dates and pre-dates whatever they're doing with the city of Atlanta in DeKalb County," Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said.
Since 2005, the Fulton County Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and more than a dozen other local and federal agencies have used the Wolf Creek Shooting Complex for police training, originally built as a shooting range for the 1996 Olympics, but county leaders say it's in need of repairs.
"It wasn't designed to last for 40 or 50 years. It was really purposed-built just for the Olympics. What has happened over the last 5 to 10 years roof leaks, air conditioning units that are reaching end of life," Fulton County Police Chief Wade Yates explained.
Chief Yates said the city of South Fulton, created in 2017, also wanted to take control of the current training center since it sits within their city limits. So, Fulton County needs a new permanent facility.
"The state requires police officers to go through 20 hours of annual in service every year our department requires 40 hours of annual in service," Chief Yates explained.
The center offers a variety of courses like crisis intervention and first responder and firearms training.
County leaders say the decision not to join the controversial Atlanta Public Safety Training Center comes down to cost.
"We were approached by Mr. Wilkerson and the Atlanta Police Foundation. We already in the process of redeveloping our own and the price tag that he quoted at that time is about $4 million a year, and so, we did the math. It simply didn't work," Pitts explained.
"The facility that they're talking about is in DeKalb County and we're Fulton County, so that had a little bit to do with it as well," he added.
Pitts said they're planning to renovate several buildings along Fulton Industrial Blvd funded through a pre-existing county bond.
"We issued bonds for the animal services center and some of that the excess will be used for this facility. Over the life of it probably in the neighborhood of 12, 13, 14 million dollars," Pitts explained.
"We're not trying to re-invent the wheel, or create some kind of super place, that's doing so much better, we're trying to continue the training that we've been offering for more than thirty years to our police staff," Yates added.
The new Fulton County facility will be much smaller than the one in DeKalb County. It's expected to be completed next year.