New law enforcement training center opens in Manatee County for recruits, current officers
BRADENTON, Fla. - From target practice to the driving range, a new training facility in Manatee County is designed to help future law enforcement officers develop the skills they'll need to serve and protect the community.
The new training center is located at Manatee Technical College, and local leaders said it'll go a long way in helping the region attract and retain officers.
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Why you should care:
Every call law enforcement officers respond to brings something new, and as their training kicks in, it can save their lives and those they're responding to help.
"It’s very important that we are producing the best-trained, most highly qualified recruits to go out and do the job today, more so than any time," said Jay Romine, the director of Manatee Technical College's Law Enforcement Academy.
Big picture view:
They cut the ribbon for the new City of Bradenton Law Enforcement Training Center at Manatee Technical College in Myakka City on Tuesday. The City of Bradenton and the Bradenton Police Department worked with Manatee Technical College and the Manatee County School District to create the new facility.
"This is something that has been a dream basically for so long and now all of a sudden we have it, and I feel like it will be a huge benefit for years to come," said Romine.
The backstory:
In 2015, Manatee Technical College lost their driving pad and firing range as their former campus shut down. Recruits had to move to an indoor commercial range, and Romine began working with the city and BPD in 2020 to bring the new training center to life.
"It allows us to do all sorts of different training. Not just for basic recruits, but for the agencies to use as well. Advanced and specialized classes," said Romine.
Dig deeper:
This brings an outdoor pistol and rifle range, a 300x600 driving pad, a simulated shoot house and observation towers. At the facility, new recruits will learn as current law enforcement officers brush up on their skills and certifications.
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"It’s an opportunity for not only our agency to refine what we do, but to also invite other folks in as well. Currently, I know the technical college, when we are putting them through the police academy, we have to ship them up to Pinellas County to do driving training and this puts it in our own backyard," said Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan.
To train, serve and protect those in Manatee County and beyond.
"It’s an opportunity for not only our agency to refine what they do, but also invite others as well," said Bevan.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with the director of Manatee Technical College's Law Enforcement Academy and the Bradenton police chief.
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