On October 10, the Gwinnett County Police Department Training Center will celebrate 50 years of operation.
Gwinnett was the first county police department to open an academy in Georgia. Only four other police departments in Georgia operate their own training academy.
The Gwinnett County Police academy is certified by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards (POST) and Training Council and recently earned separate accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies.
In 1972, the Gwinnett Police Training Center held its first classes in a chapel at the Gwinnett Correctional Institute. In 1978, the operation moved to the newly constructed police headquarters building off Hi Hope Rd. They had one classroom, some office space and a ten-lane indoor firing range.
The academy remained at the headquarters until 1996. It then moved to a former elementary school in Buford. In May 2007, a new 35-acre Gwinnett County Police Training Center facility was built in Lawrenceville using SPLOST funds.
The facility includes an academic building, an indoor firing range, and a 15-acre driver’s training track. The academic building has six classrooms, a gym, a physical training room, a conference room, and staff offices.
The academy still continues to expand. Last year, construction began on a new building attached to the current academic building. Once completed, all recruit training will take place at the new building which will have new classroom space, a large amphitheater, and additional staff offices.
The current academic building will be used exclusively for continuing education for officers and civilian staff.
The Gwinnett County Police academy runs year-round, often with multiple academy classes going on at once. When it was first established, the academy ran one class per year. Now it runs up to three classes per year and is currently hiring for the 115th academy class.
Recruits in the academy receive 408 hours of basic mandate training, required by the state of Georgia and get an additional 460 hours of advanced training. The academy is also responsible for providing annual training for existing officers and staff as required by the state.
Officers qualify with their firearms four times a year and get 20 hours of continuing education over the course of the year. Classes for officers to obtain their Intermediate and Advanced Certificates from POST are offered. The academy also has a variety of other advanced certifications such as General Instructor Certification, Firearms Instructor, EVOC (driver training) Instructor, and many others.
Civilian staff also receive training at the facility, including the Basic Communications Officer Course for 911 dispatchers, Crime Scene Investigation training, and many more.
