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City may get ‘police school’
Applies for grant to fund training center, firing range
Published Thursday, June 18, 2009
The City of Andalusia is pursuing federal funding to build a state-of-the-art facility for regional law enforcement training.
Chief Wilbur Williams said the city has applied for a $259,000 public facilities grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA).
“We would focus on a 90-mile radius of our area,” Williams said. “There is nothing for law enforcement training between Mobile and Dothan. We would look to provide training for departments our size and smaller. Every sworn officer is required to have at least 12 hours of training a year.”
Williams said the proposed facility would have one classroom with a capacity of 85 people, and two smaller classrooms with a capacity of 30 each. There also would be offices, restroom facilities and a garage area.
The garage would serve two purposes, he said.
“It would provide storage for a couple of our vehicles that need to be out of the weather,” he said. But that type of facility is also required for a course that teaches officers how to set up vehicles for covert operations.
The facility, which would be built on 15 acres owned by the city behind Montezuma Center on Academy Drive, would also include a firing range with 20 pistol lanes and a rifle area. Williams said he also plans to have a “shoot” house, used for close-quarters tactical training.
Training will be tailored for all age groups, he said, using current scientific methods.
The facility will be conducive for use by groups like the Boy Scouts in earning badges related to guns and archery, he said.
“If we receive the grant, we would fund the rest of the project with a rural development loan at 4.5 percent interest for 30 years,” Williams said.
While the chief expects the facility would generate some revenue from hosting training events, the payment on that proposed loan could be paid with his department’s current training budget.
Williams said he feels good about the chances of getting the grant funded.
“Congressman (Bobby) Bright is very interested in law enforcement,” Williams said. “With his background, he knows and values training. And I really feel like this is a niche we can address.”
Comments
Posted by lawsuit (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 6:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they can also teach how to use a water cannon
Posted by covingtoncountycitizen2008 (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe this is a positive story for law enforcement in the county. Leave it up to some blogger like lawsuit to be a smarta$$ about it. I think its a great thing that Chief Williams is going after money for improvements in the city. I hope he gets everything that he can for his people. This specific grant will not only provide for his officers but for the smaller departments around that have nothing. Good job Chief.
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lordy, lordy and why cant we get a grant for a YMCA , for Christ sake. We need to prevent crime. Anyway they can learn how much pressure to put on the water cannon so as not to hurt our children someday.
Posted by no_jurisdiction (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
for all of you who think that a water cannon is something that is used to spray people with water.........your wrong!!! its something that is used to explode bombs.....you'll be surprised of how many people in covington county like to make bombs or find old dynamite in a field.....thats when its used..... at least someone on here ( covingtoncountycitizen2008) has a positive feedback on the new police school......
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How many bombs were exploded in covington county in the last 50 years.The water cannon will collect dust.Now as for as the police school,I see nothing wrong with that.
Posted by gladtobefromandy (anonymous) on June 19, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lawsuit.. if your so concerned how the cannon should be used. Maybe YOU should learn it. but oh wait.. that kind of thing is left up to a real man... : ) Anyways, i think this school is a great idea.
Posted by bubba (anonymous) on June 23, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by andalusiacitizen (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The police department has to apply for grants and has to use the money from those grants for the certain things that the money is specifically for. For those of you who have not read previous stories about the water cannon, it was one of the only available items left to be purchased from that particular grant money. That's how a grant works: for specific purposes. Now as far as people bashing the police force and its Chief, grow up. Most of the people around here who have a problem with our police departments are people who do the wrong thing anyway, and then try and give the people who are doling out the justice a bad name. Chief Williams is a very intelligent man that does a wonderful job, as are the majority of the law enforcement officers not only under him, but through the county as well.
I don't think you'll be complaining about them when you have to call them to come help you out.
As far as the training goes, wouldn't you like our police force to have all the training possible? I know I would. They get out and risk their lives every day and night all for a bunch of people like this to bash and trash them. I know it's Andalusia and not much goes on around here, but the unknown is what they face all the time. Show a little more respect to the people who do all this for you even after you undermine them.
Posted by SwampAngel (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it is about time for the police in this area to have some training. They should have had the training years ago. Maybe they will even learn how to listen to a report instead of arguing about a person dialing the wrong phone number when calling for help when someone FROM a party next door shows up in front of your house THREATENING someone in your yard with bodily harm.
The 911 dispatcher evidently does not know how to dispatch an Andalusia policeman and transfers you to the police department where you get someone who argues with you about the number you dialed. WHAT IS 9-1-1 FOR IF YOU CAN'T CALL IT WHEN YOU NEED IMMEDIATE HELP? WHY CAN'T THE 9-1-1 DISPATCHER DISPATCH SOMEONE INSTEAD OF YOU HAVING TO REPEAT A STORY TWICE????
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