VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Creeds Law Enforcement Training Facility is getting an $8 million upgrade thanks to a grant.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us," Virginia Beach Deputy Police Chief Reo Hatfield said about the grant.
The grant application had to be put together quickly, but the department got the amount of money it asked for.
“We looked at opportunities to rehab the facility and kind of knew about what the cost might be," Hatfield explained.
The grant comes from the federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program. It will be used to grade and repave the driving track, to work on the sprinkler system used to simulate slick driving conditions, to build a repel tower because the current tower there is condemned, and to rehab the buildings at the facility.
“What it means for the citizens of the community is our officers are better trained, and for our military partners, that they have the ability to train as well," said Hatfield.
Training isn’t the only positive impact the upgrades could have, though.
Hatfield says it could also help with recruitment and retention.
As of Sept. 27, work to make updates to the facility was expected to start within a few weeks, but will take several months to complete and will be completed in phases.
