Raleigh Law Enforcement Training Center

Bracing for its population to double over the next decade, the City of Raleigh needed a facility where their expanding police force could complete rigorous training. The new 60,000-square-foot complex is home to basic and lateral-entry law enforcement academies, annual in-service training, advanced reality-based training, and the department’s leadership institute.

The facility houses basic and in-service training rooms, defensive tactics training spaces, reconfigurable scenario rooms, physical training spaces, and a locker room. Innovative elements include video-rich displays and video walls with distance learning capability; interactive monitoring and recording systems to bridge classroom and field training; and simulation training systems. The infrastructure includes networks to accommodate growth for the next 20 years.

Sustainable design features include a geothermal HVAC system, occupancy sensors, tubular skylights, electric vehicle charging stations, and a solar-ready roof constructed with highly reflective materials.  This facility is designed to reduce energy costs by 25 percent and reduce potable water use by nearly 80 percent by selection of efficient fixtures and utilization of a city-supplied non-potable water source.  Responsibly sourced products were prioritized, low-emitting materials were used during construction, and over 85 percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill.  Permanent entryway systems, MERV 13 filters, and carbon dioxide monitors will further improve indoor air quality for occupant health. 

The design team recognized the building’s potential to not only prepare the police force for the future, but also to honor on its past. Named for the chief who championed the effort, the Cassandra Deck-Brown Museum provides a retrospective of the department’s history and its relationship with the community it serves. Collaborating with an archivist, designers developed a flexible exhibition space within the lobby that showcases a collection of historic artifacts, including uniforms, batons, notebooks, and even early breathalyzers.

The museum became particularly meaningful as the nation experienced civil unrest. “It tells our story…In this environment when there is always one story, people miss the hearts and minds of those who come in to do this job…Despite the dark history policing has in this country, there is a lot of great work that comes every single day to make a difference in the lives of others,” Chief Deck-Brown said.

Photo credit: Tim Buchman Photography