Port St. Lucie officially opened its $28.8 million police training center on July 24 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the City Hall grounds just northwest of the police department. The 54,283-square-foot, three-story facility was four years in construction and was designed by ADG Architecture and built by HJ High. Mayor Shannon Martin said the project ensures officers have the space, training, and resources needed to serve the community at the highest level.
The facility includes a 20-lane, 9,508-square-foot indoor firearms range with an integrated MILO live-fire scenario system, a 2,848-square-foot tactical shoot house with configurable rooms, and a MILO Virtual Simulation Theater for decision-making and de-escalation exercises. It also features a defensive tactics training room equipped with Axon VR technology, a multi-purpose training room, and three floors of office space supporting the Training Division and Criminal Investigations Division with 19 offices and 86 workstations.
Officer Brittany McNally said the facility will reduce recurring costs from officers traveling to Indian River State College in Fort Pierce for training. The new training center provides access to state-of-the-art technology and realistic scenario-based training that better prepares officers for situations they may face in the field, she said. Police personnel immediately began moving into the facility after the ribbon cutting. The facility is not open to the general public due to safety and confidentiality concerns.