Roanoke's finest have a new place to train. The city police department celebrated its new 28,000 square foot building at a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon. Constructed by Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc., the Roanoke Police Academy was designed and built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.

The $6.9 million facility serves as a training academy for current and future officers. "We hope that we find some opportunities to share with the community, share with the kids and it gives some place to do the training that we actually need," said Roanoke Police Chief, Joe Gaskins.

One of the highlights in the new academy is a pool where trainees will be required to jump in fully clothed with their bulletproof vest and gun belt to learn how to swim with all the extra weight.

The Roanoke Police Academy was procured using the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA), which enables the public and private sector to work together as partners.

Source: WDBJ7.com

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