Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Andy Skoogman, 612-919-5918
Sheriff David Hutchinson Applauds Hennepin County Board's Decision to Support an Upgraded North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility
May 19, 2021 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Hennepin County Sheriff David P. Hutchinson applauded the Hennepin County Board’s decision to negotiate a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the City of Maple Grove for the operating activities of an upgraded training facility. This decision will be critical in helping the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and other regional law enforcement agencies deliver the type of training that the public considers vital to modern policing, Sheriff Hutchinson said.
The Board Action Request authorized the County Administrator to negotiate a JPA and approved a related supplemental budget appropriation. It passed unanimously. Hennepin County intends to sign a twenty-plus year JPA with the City of Maple Grove to be partners on the project.
“The vote yesterday to move forward with the construction of an upgraded training facility is a huge win for everyone involved,” said Sheriff David Hutchinson. “With this expansion, our agency and agencies across the region will have access to more training space and increased tools that focus on critical topics like de-escalation, crisis intervention, and much more. This facility will play a critical part in meeting the public’s expectations for a new vision of public safety. We are excited for this project to finally come to fruition. I want to thank the Hennepin County Board for their wisdom in approving this project.”
This vote provides for the existing building to be upgraded to a modern, state-of-the-art North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility. The existing facility was constructed in 1992 and rebuilt in 2011 after being partially destroyed by a fire. The current facility struggles with capacity and scheduling issues, as it serves more than twenty law enforcement agencies, as well as law enforcement students, and members of the general public enrolled in hunting safety or permit to carry courses.
The approved facility will provide law enforcement agencies the tools to undertake modern training that is being demanded by the public. This will include a space designed for realistic, scenario-based training that will be used to teach de-escalation techniques and defensive tactics, as well as a virtual simulator room and a twelve-lane range expansion.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2021, and the project will be completed in 2022.
– HCSO–
Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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