LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Gwinnett County is celebrating the expansion of its police training center.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday at the $6.2 million facility in Lawrenceville.
Police recruits complete six months of training there before joining the force.
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The existing training facility opened in 2007 and the county’s growth has simply fueled the need for more space.
Recruit Vanessa Garcia is set to graduate from the training program in three weeks.
“I actually moved here from Florida, so I came here to get the best experience, the best training, and I’ve definitely encountered that by being here,” Garcia told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims.
Gwinnett County is one of only five police departments in Georgia that operates its own training facility.
This $6.2 million expansion, which took less than two years to complete, stands two stories tall and includes offices, training rooms, and a multi-purpose room.
Police Chief J.D. McClure says the 26,000-square-foot addition was much needed.
“We’re a growing agency. Our police academy class is as big as 50, each academy class. So the expansion will serve us very well over the decades as we continue to grow as an organization,” McClure said.
County officials say the police department grew by 13 percent between 2007 and 2020.
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“This is a great opportunity for our department, for our sworn officers, and our professional staff. It also demonstrates a commitment by our Board of Commissioners,” McClure said.
So with golden scissors, county leaders cut the ribbon on the new building at a ceremony Monday.
“We’re very fortunate to have very knowledgable staff who are willing to put in the work and give us the best training that there is to offer,” Garcia said.
The Gwinnett County Police Department is the second largest police agency in the state with 930 sworn officers.
It serves a population of more than 800,000 people.
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