City of Warner Robins breaks ground on new police training facility

BY SANDRA HERNANDEZ / HHJ STAFF WRITER

WARNER ROBINS – The city of Warner Robins hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the police department’s new training center on Monday, March 31.

Police Chief Wayne Fisher described the event as a monumental occasion for the Warner Robins Police Department. He said for over 20 years the training facility improvements have been a discussion point.

It will be a 4,800 square foot training facility and it will have multiple phases. Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said it will be a place to train new officers and believes the city has the best law enforcement the state has to offer.

“Anything our police department needs, the answer is yes. You might have to have some time to get there, but the answer is ultimately yes. They are great men and women who protect us everyday. They’ve worked hard to get our crime rate to be reduced for group A crimes. I’m so proud of the progress they have made,” she said.

Patrick believes the training facility will help enhance the police department even further for both current and future police officers. She also shared that the city has grown a lot in its 82-year history and reached a point where they need more officer resources.

Fisher invited County Administrator Robbie Dunbar, County Sheriff Matt Moulton, Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Billy Rape, County Coroner James Williams, Assistant Police Chief Todd Edwards, Lieutenant Kirk Lowry and other local leaders to be involved in the groundbreaking.

Lowry serves as the Training Commander and believes the new facility will improve the department’s image. He said there are new employees coming into the city and the facility will be the first thing they see. 

The grounds also serve as a place where the police department can train civilians through various programs. This includes Womens Defensive Tactics Training and Firearm Safety classes. Lowry also said the facility is the first thing they see when they participate in the classes.

The old facility produced many challenges, including lack of air conditioning or heating. It also had low ceilings which made it difficult to raise batons in the air during their defensive tactics training. Lowry said the ceilings were only eight feet which would cause them to hit lights and ceiling fans.

The new building will have an area with a high ceiling for them to perform their training without any issue. At the previous facility, Lowry could invite approximately 20 people. The new facility will be able to accommodate even more.

“All of this new building is going to give us so much more capability [and] a better image,” he said.

Lowry has been with WRPD for 16 years and considers this as a boost of morale.

“The building has served its time. We’ve gotten our money’s worth out of the building. But with the [police] department growing, the building didn’t grow and we’ve outgrown it. It needs to go down [and] a new modern building that reflects the police department,” he said. 

As of right now, it is unsure when the training facility will be completed. Due to the weather, there could be delays. However, Fisher hopes construction will be completed in August or September.