Mon. May 2, 2022 5:15 p.m.
A new training center for the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy will be built on the Sanborn campus of Niagara County Community College. An estimated $2.27 million for the building was earmarked for the SUNY building fund passed by the state budget vote a few weeks ago.
Last fall, the Niagara County Legislature voted to allocate up to $3 million of the county’s U.S. bailout funds for the construction project. The total projected cost of the project is approximately $4.54 million.
After a decade at Niagara University, NCLEA moved to NCCC in August. The academy, operated jointly by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the Niagara Falls Police Department, was formerly located at NCCC from 1974 to 2011. The academy trains newly hired officers, or those hoping to be hired by police departments throughout Western New York. The Niagara County Corrections Academy is also held at the NCCC.
Niagara County Legislature Speaker Becky Wydysh said, The Niagara County Legislature is proud to support law enforcement across the county, and we are very pleased that all funding is now in place. place to move forward with the new law enforcement academy. Having a state-of-the-art academy on the NCCC campus will provide the best training for our future law enforcement officials while providing unique learning opportunities for students in the NCCC Criminal Justice program.
NCCC President William J. Murabito said having this new facility on the NCCC campus brings the program into the 21st century.
“The new learning environment will directly translate to more opportunities for NCLEA and NCCC criminal justice students and their ability to stay competitive. Students will be better educated and better prepared as they will be more comfortable with technology,” he said.
Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said, “I want to thank the NCCC and the County Legislature for partnering with the Sheriff’s Office in our vision for a new law enforcement academy. The training requirements for those entering law enforcement are extensive and continue to evolve. Our new academy will allow us to use state-of-the-art technology to meet these training needs and better prepare future law enforcement officers for their careers.
Plans for the new 15,000 square foot building call for four classrooms with moveable walls, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a reality-based training room, and the use of a strength simulator. It is expected that construction will begin in the spring of 2023 and the facility will open in 2024.
