Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson (left) and Chatham resident and donor Roger Ludwig during the launch announcement for the Stronger Shield capital campaign for a new Yarmouth Police training facility.
WEST YARMOUTH – The Yarmouth Police Foundation has launched a capital campaign for a state-of-the-art officer training complex at the town’s police headquarters.
The first-of-its-kind Sgt. Sean Gannon K-9/Police Training Facility would allow Yarmouth officers and law enforcement across the Cape to train in realistic environments.
The goal of the Stronger Shield campaign is to raise funding for an interactive simulation room, an on-site mock house, K-9 obstacle training course and live-round firing range.
Police Chief Frank Frederickson said he is pleased the foundation took on the responsibility of providing the facilities the department needs.
“The plan that they have laid out is beautiful. When it is finished it will be the envy of a lot of police departments,” Frederickson said. “But a lot of it will be used regionally. So we are going to help police officers across the region and probably across the state.”
Funding has been raised for the first phase of the project. The Milo Range Simulator is expected to be installed inside the police station in the next four or five weeks.
Chatham resident Roger Ludwig has pledged to make two $150,000 donations for the project. Ludwig expressed an interest for the facility to be used by all Cape Cod police departments.
“We need here and everywhere training, more training,” Ludwig said. “Everybody needs training. I was a CPA and I had to train all the time.”
The second and third phases will see the construction of a 40-foot by 80-foot on-site mock house building that will be used as a realistic training environment for K-9, Police and S.W.A.T. units, and a next generation K-9 and Police obstacle course.
Work is being done to submit design drawings to the town and the department hopes to break ground on the mock house before the winter weather hits.
The fourth phase, the construction of an enclosed live-round training range for tactical and qualification training.
The timetable for that phase will depend on fundraising.
The total project is expected to cost approximately $1.2 million.
The Yarmouth Police Foundation is accepting donations for the project at yarmouthpolicefoundation.org.
Money will also be raised from the sale of K-9 Nero Hero Pup stuffed animals. They can be ordered at www.kscopestore.com/YPD_Gannon.
The facility is named after Sgt. Gannon who was shot and killed in the line of duty in Marstons Mills in April. The project was vetted through the Gannon Family.
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