COLORADO SPRINGS — Police departments around the country have struggled to recruit and retain officers in recent years, and that trend has affected Colorado Springs. Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Police Chief Adrian Vasquez proposed an idea to the city council Monday they believe will help the department's recruitment efforts.
They want to put a TABOR retention measure on the November ballot asking voters to keep $5 million in excess revenue. The city would use that money to either build or retrofit a building as a new police training academy.
"It is not as big (of a request) as previous years, but it's enough that we could use to go towards this new initiative that would actually make a difference in terms of our community's safety," Mobolade said.
He added that public safety is a top priority for his administration. He believes the investment will help the department's recruitment efforts.
"One of my promises to our residents is that we would be looking at the most cost-effective option. So, how do we deliver on training our new women and men who are dedicating their lives to keep us safe," said Mobolade.
Classes of police officer trainees have received instruction at the CSPD Training Academy on Murray Boulevard for nearly 30 years. However, the department has outgrown the facility.
The city began a year-round training process with smaller classes earlier this month.
Police Chief Vasquez explained the old method of hosting three large classes every two years was too slow.
"That was causing us to lose people who were waiting up to a year to get a job, they were finding jobs elsewhere," Vasquez said.
He said classes now overlap leading to a lack of classroom space. The facility also lacks a driver training track. Vasquez told the council trainees currently learn driving techniques at the Colorado Springs Flea Market.
"Right now we're having to utilize other buildings and ask business partners can we use your parking lots for driving training," Vasquez said. "For our incumbent training, we're having to send them to other divisions to utilize their conference rooms and things like that."
He expects the final cost of a new training academy to surpass $5 million.
"This certainly helps pave the way for us to be able to do it quicker," he said.
"I would want the citizens to know that this really is an ask for necessity. We want to get as many officers on the street as we can."
The ballot language for the TABOR retention question is not yet final. However, City Council must decide by their next regular session on July 25 if they want to be on the ballot at all. The City Clerk must give proper notice to the County Clerk and Recorder's Office.
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