The St. Louis County Council passed legislation last night to agree to a police training complex in coordination with three other counties. The deal would use a $50 million state grant to build a regional training center for police officers within St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson County, and Franklin counties.
Preliminary plans for the center include an 80-acre outdoor training area, courses for both new recruits and veteran officers, and virtual reality simulator rooms. There are also plans for a shooting range, an auditorium, and classrooms.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
The bill passed with a 6-1 vote, with Councilwoman Lisa Clancy being the sole no.
Before its passing, the bill received some harsh pushback from citizens during the public comment section, with the most common concern being the militarization of police within the region.
Maplewood resident Lauren Filla said, “St. Louis County has 13 percent of people that are food insecure. We have at least 450 people that are unhoused. What I want to know from everyone that supports this bill is if you would look a child that’s food insecure in the eyes and say, ‘Our community needs militarized police more than you need food,’ if you would look a family that’s unhoused in the eyes and say, ‘Our community needs militarized police more than you need safety and shelter.’”
Kerry McCullen emphasized the amount of money that would be spent on the facility, saying it would likely be more than the initial $50 million. Additional funding would have to be secured by the commission via state or federal grants and then donations. Local governments would be in charge of covering the rest.
She ended her time speaking with a moment of silence for all the lives lost due to police brutality.
Courtney Huddleston said she is a Ferguson resident who has experienced the consequences of unchecked police militarization firsthand.
“I want to address the issue of standardized cop training across multiple counties. Each county has its own unique challenges, demographics, businesses and community needs,” she said. “This is a move towards uniformity that ignores the principle of local representation and bypasses local leadership accountability. My taxes are meant to serve my specific community’s needs, not a regional Frankenstein commission that Sam Page has said that he’s been working to create since 2018.”
Franklin County was the first to vote to sign on for the center, and St. Charles County followed suit on Monday. Jefferson County has yet to vote on the issue, but meets Aug. 11.
If approved, the counties would appoint an eight-member commission to oversee the purchase of property, construction, and operation of the training complex.
Councilman Mark Harder said that it would likely be three years before the facility was operational because of the process of obtaining the land and then constructing the facility.
Harder said, “This is the first big step and I thank you for giving the confidence for this to move forward.”
The council discussed that the police officers deserve a facility that doesn’t have water leaks, mold, and even “vermin.” But Councilwoman Shalonda Webb noted that even though the police will be getting a new facility, the fire department will remain behind at the old one.
The future facility doesn’t currently have a set location. Officials said they hope to see it built near Interstate 64 and Highway 141, within St. Louis County.
