STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Public Safety
AGENDA DATE: June 9, 2021
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): N/A
DEPARTMENT: Police Department
EXECUTIVE: Jon Fortune
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SUBJECT
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Authorize the City Manager to work the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of North Texas at Dallas to evaluate and identify sites on the University of North Texas at Dallas campus, or other locations as necessary, which may be suited to the needs of Dallas Police Department training activities and to report his findings to the City Council with a recommendation for further action - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
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BACKGROUND
Over the past year, as well as during the recent City Council retreat, there were several comments and suggestions by Council Members of the need to improve the Dallas Police Training Academy. As an emerging priority for the City Council, staff has been working to assess the issues and challenges of the current training facility and recently has had several conversations with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) about a collaborative opportunity to create a modern police training facility.
Prior to 1990, the DPD academy was located at Bachman Lake. In 1990, Dallas Love Field Airport expanded into the Bachman Lake area which required relocation of the Academy to a 31,050 square foot facility at 5310 Redbird Center Drive. At the time, this facility housed both the training academy for new recruits as well as ongoing in-service training. DPD currently leases this facility as the move to Redbird Center was originally intended to be an interim solution.
Shortly after relocating in 1990, DPD quickly outgrew this facility as the department substantially increased its hiring for sworn positions and both the number of academy classes and the number of recruits per class increased. In 2012, DPD expanded the operations by leasing another 27,067 square feet at 56...
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