Several Dallas law enforcement associations came together Thursday morning to call on city leaders to prioritize the construction of a long-delayed, modern police training academy – and to secure the funding still needed to finish it. “We stand here in front of our current Dallas Police Acad emy, that’s outdated, it’s overcrowded, and it’s inadequate for what we want to do in the future. The citizens of Dallas have already recognized that and they’ve already voted and approved a bond for a new police training facility,” said Sean Pease, Dallas Police Association president. The new 20‑acre academy is planned for the UNT Dallas campus in southern Dallas. City leaders say the facility is essential for graduating larger recruiting classes and meeting voter‑mandated hiring goals. Dallas continues to struggle with officer shortages that impact response times, workload, and retention. According to new city documents, pre‑construction is expected to begin as early as next month, with completion projected for summer 2028. But the project faces a significant financial hurdle. While the total cost is estimated at $185 million, the city remains nearly $90 million short despite a mix of state, private, and voter‑approved bond funding already secured Standing outside the current Dallas Police Academy – a building many officers say was intended to be temporary more than 30 years ago – law enforcement associations described deteriorating conditions and capacity issues they argue are holding back recruitment. “We cannot recruit at the levels that Dallas needs to recruit at in a building that’s not capable of training them. We cannot compete with other major cities until we improve,” Pease said. “Right now, we are below staffing levels. Officers are having to work overtime, this impacts response time, it impacts morale and it impacts families.” At the press conference, leaders from minority and women’s police organizations also emphasized the need for a modern facility that reflects the growth and diversity of both the city and its police recruits. “We cannot talk about representation, equity, and trust in communities of color while training officers in a facility that doesn’t even reflect dignity or investment,” said Jessica Jones, vice president of the Dallas Black Police Association. “At least every class year has 25% to 45% African-American recruits in the academy. They deserve to train in a facility that lets them know that they matter. Jennifer Atherton with the Dallas Women’s Police Association highlighted the lack of basic accommodations for female recruits. “Right now, we have a record number of female recruits training today, and we did not make room for them. There are not enough showers. There are not enough lockers. There is no lactation room,” she said. “If Dallas wants more women to join our police department, then Dallas needs to back that up with steel, concrete and commitment.” Representing the Asian Peace Officer Association, Paul Thai underscored the importance of infrastructure that supports multilingual and culturally competent officers. “The Dallas Asian community continues to grow and thrive. We need officers who could speak different languages, who understand the culture, and who can build a trust across the generations. But recruitment without infrastructure is an empty promise.” Officers say the weight room has some equipment dating back from over 30 years ago. Sheldon Smith, President of the National Black Police Association, reflected on his own time going through the academy. “In 1994, I went through this academy. It’s the same academy. Nothing has changed. We have to do better,” he said. “If you look in this parking lot, there’s not enough spaces for the number of recruits that we have here. They’re training on open vacant fields instead of having facilities to give them the best opportunity to become the best officers that they can be.” At Wednesday’s Dallas City Council meeting, members approved Jacobs Project Management Co. to oversee construction of the new academy. Council members voiced concerns about maintaining momentum on a project that has been discussed for decades. “This building should have happened 30 years ago. It’s been planned for more than 30 years. And instead, we’ve been paying a rent every year of a million dollars for frankly a putrid facility. So this absolutely has to happen,” said councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn. City officials say they remain committed to seeing the project through despite the funding gap. Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert assured council members that additional funding strategies are in the works. “This is a commitment that the city council has made that our voters have also made as part of the 2024 bond program that they want to see us move forward with this academy,” she said. “We are planning to bring a full briefing in April that identifies additional sources of funds and that way the council can get a full overview of all of the different funding sources that we’re bringing to commit and move this project forward.” ...read more read less