Raleigh Region Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Law Enforcement Training Center

On Friday, July 26th, Messer Construction Co. joined the Raleigh Police Department and leaders with the city of Raleigh for the celebratory groundbreaking of the police department’s new Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) at 2320 Law Enforcement Drive. The city selected Messer’s Raleigh team to lead the construction of the 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility.

“Serving and protecting is the fundamental duty of any law enforcement officer,” said Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown at the event. “The mission statement, which clearly speaks to what our role is on a daily basis, does not come without training, dedication and the responsibilities that so many of us take to ensure that our officers and our civilian staff are some of the most highly trained in the United States.”

The construction of the new LETC comes as the city of Raleigh continues to experience an explosive population boom. To complement this anticipated growth, the design of the state-of-the-art facility was evaluated for staffing growth to 2040 and beyond. The new, 60,000 square foot center will be located just north of the Raleigh Police Department’s current training facility, which is more than 30 years old and just over 12,000 square feet.

“A large part of our work on council is preparing for the future,” said Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane at the event. “This training center is an important part of ensuring that our police department is well trained and prepared.”

The new LETC will receive LEED Silver Certification and will house multiple classrooms and computer labs with the ability to hold multiple basic academies and in-service training courses. It will also serve as a resource for the Wake County community, providing opportunities for engagement, housing a museum that honors the history of the Raleigh Police Department, as well as public art in the lobby.

“We’re honored and grateful to the city of Raleigh and the Raleigh Police Department for entrusting us with a vision that will support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our great city,” said Bob Williams, vice president and region leader of the Messer Raleigh office and operations. “As Raleigh continues to excel as one of the fastest growing areas in the country, we know how important it is for the city to have a place to grow, train and cultivate our officers for decades to come.”

Messer specializes in aviation, health care, higher education, industrial, science and technology complex construction and employs more than 1,100 people within its Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee operations.