The city's plan for a new police academy in Queens features a simulated subway station, indoor firing ranges, 250 dormitory rooms, a tactical training village - and a price tag of at least $1 billion.
The city reviewed eight possible locations for the new academy and ultimately selected the NYPD's College Point tow pound, a 30-acre site located at 129-05 31st Ave., as the best spot for the tricked-out, high-tech campus; Mayor Bloomberg announced the other day. Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, who spearheaded the site selection, warned that the $1 billion cost is merely an estimate. "A more accurate and possibly higher estimate will not be available until later in the design phase, "The new facility will include an 115,000-square-foot tactical village that will allow the NYPD to further improve training programs in the use of deadly force, officials said.
The village will feature a simulated subway station, platform and subway cars that will be used in various training programs, including defending against chemical, biological and radiological attacks. The village will also sport a bank, bodega, housing and other elements of a typical city street. There will be two emergency vehicle operations course fields, totaling more than 1.2 million square feet. The new classrooms will accommodate wireless technology and the capacity to deliver instruction to 5,000 students simultaneously.
There will be specialized spaces to mimic prisoner processing areas, courtrooms and other facilities that police officers encounter daily. The mayor acknowledged the hefty cost of the facility, but said: "Giving our police officers the tools and training they need to keep the rest of us safe is the best way to ensure the continued growth of our city."
This sounds great! But are we going to invest all this money to train our Finest and then lose them to Long Island or down South? At what point do we pay our new Police Officers a fair salary??
Is this Billion plus investment the only answer? No the Juniper Patriots believe in paying our hero Police officers a fair Salary, after all they put there lives on the line to protect our safety each and every day!
2 comments:
New York is the greatest city in the world because we have the greatest Police Department in the world!
If 1+1=2, then they deserve the highest salary in the world.
Mr. Mayor... Since you dont take a salary for being Mayor, and you consider yourself a great philanthropist why dont you donate a billion dollars to supplement the cop's substandard salary.
The NYPD is by far the most recognizable and respected police department in the world, and righfully so. Besides having some of the greatest leaders and commanders in law enforcement, the men and women of the NYPD truly are the "Finest". This new training academy will not only be a valuable addition to this outstanding agency but will ensure that the members of the NYPD will remain as the world's "Finest".
The next step is to now pay them as the "Finest". While we must respect all men and women who wear the badge and are willing to put themselves in harms way "to protect and serve" our community, we MUST stop playing politics and start rewarding the members of the NYPD appropriately. It is an absolute disgrace that they receive a salary that is actually insulting when compared with the salaries of their brothers and sisters serving in departments in our neiboring counties. It is up to Mayor Bloomberg, Council Leader Quinn and all the members of our NYC Council to finally stand up, put politics aside and recognize these fine men and women as they so deserve.
Mr Mayor and Ms Council Leader, just in case you need reminding, just look at who is protecting you, whether it be at City Hall or your own personal security team.
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