Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 8:49 a.m.
During the Monday Legislative Session, City Council voted unanimously on Resolution 2022-0089 that commits the City of Spokane to work with the Washington State Legislature to pursue funding for a Regional Law Enforcement Training Center.
“The Spokane Police Academy offers excellent training to recruits and current law enforcement members,” said Council Member Zack Zappone. “I look forward to working with our state legislators to secure funding towards expanding and enhancing this center, which will greatly benefit everyone in our community.”
The Spokane Police Department’s (SPD) current training center serves as a primary training center for SPD and other regional and state law enforcement agencies that may not have the resources or capacity to conduct updated law enforcement training. The current training center, which is in disrepair, continues to provide progressive training in Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement, Implicit Bias, Procedural Justice, and Reality Based Training.
“Not long after resolving the Otto Zehm case, the City of Spokane renewed its commitment to robust and cutting-edge police training that de-escalates violence and better protects our officers and the community members they serve, “said Council President Breean Beggs. “Upgrading our training facilities to carry out this issue better is one more step in this commitment, and I look forward to even more progress.”
Representative Marcus Riccelli, a state Capital Budget Committee member, added, “There is an overwhelming commitment to provide the tools for law enforcement that will strike the right balance to help address the myriad of issues so many faces in our community while still ensuring they can investigate and stop crime. I am thankful for the new generation of officers stepping up to serve and committed to helping secure the infrastructure funding needed so that they are best prepared to keep our community healthy and safe.”
