SAVANNAH —
The new Georgia Public Safety Training Center Regional Police Academy, which serves as a state-of-the-art training center for coastal Georgia law enforcement officers, officially opened on July 28 in Garden City, Ga.
The Regional Police Academy provides required certification training for new law enforcement officers in a 19-county region. The 10,500-square-foot facility offers 10-week basic training sessions for police officers. A special grand opening ceremony featured a ribbon cutting attended by police chiefs from throughout coastal Georgia as well as elected officials including Georgia State Senator Lester Jackson and State Representatives Bob Bryant and Ann Purcell.
"This is the first specially-built training facility for public safety officers in the state of Georgia," said Dale Mann, director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. "This facility will be a great enhancement to public safety trainign in Georgia."
The new regional police academy was built in six months on land that was once home to a Department of Motor Vehicles office and a Georgia State Patrol post, both of which have been closed for more than a decade. The land was contaminated by benzene from leaking underground gasoline tanks previously used to fuel Georgia State Patrol police cars. Through a special partnership between state and local officials, the land was cleaned up and authorized for the construction of a new regional police academy.
"We're proud to be home to such an outstanding new training facility for police officers from around the region," said Brian Johnson, city manager for Garden City. "The Georgia Public Safety Training Center's Regional Police Academy is a welcome addition to Garden City."
ABOUT GARDEN CITY:
Located in the heart of Chatham County, Garden City stands apart as one of the leading municipalities in coastal Georgia. Featuring a progressive blend of industry and small business, Garden City boasts a rich history, friendly neighborhoods, vibrant economy and quality services for residents. Originally founded in 1939, Garden City has the distinction of being the second largest municipality in the state of Georgia with no property taxes. Defined by responsive, visionary leadership, Garden City is currently building an innovative mixed-use Town Center near I-16, which will serve as the new home of the municipality’s City Hall. For more information about Garden City, please call 912.966.7777 or visit www.gardencity-ga.gov online.
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July 29, 2010
