Springfield Police look forward to training center to use long-stored new equipment

November 23, 2010|by Marie Saavedra, KY3 News | msaavedra@ky3.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A million-dollar grant for new training equipment came through for the Springfield Police Department years ago. Much of the equipment, however, has sat - unwrapped - ever since. Now the department hopes to start using it next year.

The equipment is in the basement of the police department’s south side station on West Battlefield Road.

"We've cordoned off a portion of this basement for training equipment and it's been down here - for a while,” said Cpl. Matt Brown, a spokesman for the department.

It’s been there a couple of years. It’s the bulk of the equipment from a $1.2 million grant. It’s still wrapped in original condition, untouched and unused.

"The things that were necessary that we had to have implemented because the time span was so long, we didn't want that equipment sitting around useless. The majority of this is office equipment that we just don't have the space for it,” said Brown.

That long wait for space is nearly over. Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative and Paragon Architecture have drawn up the plans for phase one of the new Police and Fire Training Center, built as an addition to the south side station.

"It's funded by the level property tax and the bonds have been issued. The money has to be used for the training facility,” said Springfield Assistant City Manager Collin Quigley.

The plans call for several classrooms, a weight room, offices, plus a training room staged as a convenience store, and other scenarios.

"The building has a practical component to it, but it's more classroom-based training,” said Quigley.

When it's built, both the Police Department and Fire Department look forward to one shared place to train - and to finally clean out their basement. The City hopes to get bids out on the project in January, and break ground in the spring.

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