Mecklenburg residents oppose police training facility

CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG POLICE

Police recruits stand in formation the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and Fire Training Academy on Shopton Road. A proposed $116 million first responders facility at Central Piedmont Community College's Levine Campus has drawn opposition by residents who want Mecklenburg county commissioners to provide transparency on funding.

A proposed first responders training facility is drawing opposition from Mecklenburg County residents.

Speakers were given 10 minutes at Wednesday’s county commissioners’ meeting to weigh in on the use of $116 million in county funds to build the Community Lifeline complex on Central Piedmont Community College’s Levine campus. Thirty acres have already been cleared to build the site for first responders in emergency medical services, fire/rescue, and active shooter drills. The facility includes a burn tower for firefighting training, mock housing, hospital replica, and simulated convenience store. The campus will also include a shooting range and a driving course.

Charlotte defense attorney Xavier de Janon said that there is a lack of transparency from the college regarding where the money is coming from. De Janon described his own attempt to identify the funding source, which lists $75 million in fiscal year 2025. 

“I cannot find the other $41 million,” he said. “We get kicked out of meetings when we go to CPCC meetings, they tell us that it’s closed session, then CPCC bans people from campus, and now this county itself is giving us only 10 minutes to talk as a group.” 

De Janon asked the county to perform an audit and ask CPCC to be transparent in the project’s financing and put a hold on Mecklenburg’s funding until it receives that information.

“I have seen this board of county commissioners ask so many questions to homeless shelters, to CMS, and to other country programs, drilling them for budget lines…and I ask that you do the same drilling to a police training facility,” he said.

Dozens of similar facilities have been built across the United States amid a perceived need for more law enforcement training despite longstanding criticism of police violence, especially against communities of color.  Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings both spoke in support of the project after voicing concerns about shortages of law enforcement officers.
Protests against a similar “cop city” training facility in Atlanta resulted in $10 million in damage to construction equipment. 

Protesters have been charged with domestic terrorism and racketeering. One activist, Emmanuel Esteban Paez Teran, was killed by a police officer while occupying forested land. The project is expected to be completed as planned.

Many of Atlanta Police Foundation’s financiers, architects and planners are also based in Charlotte. Central Piedmont president Kandi Deitemeyer said In a statement the state-of-the-art initiative will develop first responders while providing trainees access to mental health and wellness, as well as de-escalation training. 

“As a community college, we serve as the workforce development engine for the county—and we are thrilled to be able to facilitate cross-agency public safety training,” Central Piedmont President Kandi Deitemeyer said. “Our region relies on our first responders and emergency personnel every day, and with our expanded programs and new best-in-class facilities, we can provide safe spaces for these brave individuals to train, learn and grow. We appreciate the partnership with agencies across the county – many of whom have been supporting the design and providing input to ensure the facility will serve their current and future training needs.”

Public safety and security were among the lowest-ranked priorities among nearly 12,000 respondents to a county survey of new funding. Affordable housing (51.7%) , mental/behavioral health services (40.9%) and parks (39.7%), topped the survey along with food and nutrition services, as reflected in the survey dashboard.

UNC Charlotte student Sophie Summer spoke about attending high school next to Central Prison in Raleigh. Summer said she and her classmates were constantly anxious about being next to a maximum-security facility. 

“I have the unique experience of pushing through fear while trying to go to classes next to a facility filled with weapons,” she said. “I could only pray the wrong person didn’t get their hands on. Going to school next to a prison was a stressful experience that I can say without a doubt negatively impacted my ability to learn.”

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