News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Algood Police Chief Dale Armour attended the groundbreaking of the state’s new police academy in Nashville Wednesday.
The $415 million campus will replace the old academy in Donelson. It serves as a training facility for city and county police, highway patrol, TBI, and even corrections officers. Armour said the new academy will help law enforcement from different branches, including Algood, train new employees effectively.
“They are trying to tie all those agencies into one location, and I think that will be a good thing for all of us,” Armour said. “Because we do need to communicate with corrections, we do need to communicate with sheriffs across the state, and our other police departments. When you go to the academy you’ll actually be able to reach out and meet people.”
Armour said one of the biggest reasons for attending the groundbreaking is getting to talk to other officers from different agencies and state leaders. Armour said he learned a lot talking to people about the problems different departments have.
“We’re going to support our other agencies, brothers and sisters, out here whatever they need, if we have a resource and they need it,” Armour said. “I think that’s something, I always felt that to be a very important thing. By being there I think we also strengthen that bond that I’m going to available if somebody needs something, because I’m going to ask them for something If I need it”
Armour was invited to the groundbreaking by the director of the police academy and also received an invite to the event by the Commissioner of General Services.
“A lot of the people there need to know that Algood is there,” Armour said. “They need to know that we are buying into this program, that we agree with and that we need it, and we are supportive.”
The Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy (MALETA) will be located at Cockrill Bend in Nashville near the Cumberland River. The facility is being constructed on 800 acres of land already owned by the state.
Armour said the academy would take two to three years to complete.
