Since 2020, multimillion-dollar law enforcement training centers have been emerging across the United States.
Last summer, Central Piedmont Community College announced plans to build a first responder training facility in Matthews, on 23 acres of land donated by Hendrick Automotive Group. This center will provide training for police, fire and Medic personnel, addressing the lack of such a facility in southern Mecklenburg County. The first phase is expected to open in 2027. CPCC has a budget of $118 million for the facility, primarily funded by Mecklenburg County.
While these large-scale projects aim to enhance emergency response capabilities, they have faced opposition. In Durham County, plans for a new law enforcement facility have been met with protests from residents concerned about the allocation of funds and the potential impact on the community.
Most notably, in Atlanta, the construction of a nearly $110 million police and firefighter training center — dubbed “Cop City” — has sparked national controversy. The project was announced in 2021 and has since been the subject of numerous public gatherings and protests. Some protesters have been charged with domestic terrorism and in January 2023, a protester was fatally shot by police after allegedly wounding a state trooper. The training center is set to open this spring.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said of the Matthews facility, “I’m hoping no protest.” In addition to hoping the facility is “not so much a cop city,” McFadden said that while the training is needed it’s time to take a different approach: “[There] should be community involvement, allow the community to train with us, hear some of our training, sit in on some of our training, hold us accountable.”
We discuss the rise of larger public safety facilities, what proponents and opponents of the facilities are saying, and we ask a professor to weigh in on the line between public safety and public concern.
GUESTS
Chamian Cruz, criminal justice reporter at WABE
Annie Keough, staff writer at Queen City Nerve
Brandon Garrett, professor of law and director of the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law
Following this discussion, Central Piedmont Community College released a statement to WFAE by Catherine Butler, vice president, Communications, Marketing & PR at CPCC. The statement is available in its entirety below:
"We are proud to partner with emergency response agencies across the county to expand programs and training to help ensure the community’s lifeline is prepared to respond when they are needed most. We know neighbors across the county depend on fire, emergency medical service (EMS) and law enforcement during the most critical times in their lives. Our region continues to experience unparalleled growth. As more residents move to Mecklenburg County and the surrounding area, we are seeing a shortage of emergency responders to support the needs of our region’s increasing population. We also have a shortage of training opportunities and facilities in the county, so, in many cases, our first responders are traveling outside the county or state to participate in vital training exercises. Central Piedmont has been working closely with teams across the region to proactively address this workforce pipeline and training gap – and prepare for the future of emergency response.
In partnership with Mecklenburg County and generous donors, Central Piedmont is investing to expand and strengthen the county’s emergency response capabilities with new programs and a state-of-the-art training facility located at our Levine Campus in Matthews, N.C. This comprehensive investment, The Community Lifeline, represents one of the largest workforce development projects for the region. With advanced training, access to cutting-edge tools, such virtual reality and simulations, and cross-agency coordination, the first responders we rely on will be best positioned to respond to everyday emergencies as well as extraordinary situations. The facility and programming will also include specific training focused on the mental health and wellness of students and public safety personnel to address the unique stresses and challenges faced by those in high-risk professions – and how to work with those in the community experiencing mental health crises. The new programs at the public safety training facility will provide training to existing first responders, prepare the next generation of first responders and help increase the pipeline of those interested in the field.
The new facility located at Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus will include replicas of many real-life situations, so first responders can practice, coordinate and test response efforts in a safe, controlled environment. Teams across fire, EMS and law enforcement will have access to the several replicas across the training footprint on campus: a single-family residential home, townhouse, convenience store, a burn building, a vehicle burn area, an entrapment space and more. The indoor firing range will also provide a controlled, safe environment for our law enforcement to train – as we all know, training is key to any role, particularly for those who serve our communities. Each of these replicas provides unique opportunities to prepare for different situations the first responders may encounter on the job. To help expedite response times, Central Piedmont is also investing in a driving course, where teams can practice navigating through obstacles to reach our community members.
While the facility itself won’t be fully operational until 2028, we are already recruiting a cohort to begin programming through our existing basic law enforcement training (BLET) program this summer.
Public safety is a community effort. The Community Lifeline initiative and investment demonstrate Central Piedmont’s commitment to community safety, ensuring our community has access to highly trained professionals and equipping first responders with the tools they need to protect and serve us. We are identifying additional programs for community participation on campus, such as CPR classes, child car seat checks and more. We are also exploring options for teen driving programs using the driving course, fire/police/EMS cadet programs for high school students, and potential options to use the site for expanded high school ROTC training."
