Bryant, Arkansas – The Bryant Police Department is giving its officers a new place to learn, practice and complete required training without having to leave the city.
On Tuesday, the department opened the doors of its new training facility to the public, offering a look inside the building located only a short distance from police headquarters. The space has been transformed from its previous uses as a location for tanning beds and Hertz rental cars into a dedicated training center for Bryant law enforcement.
Bryant Police Chief Carl Minden said the new facility should make training more convenient while also helping the department reduce the costs associated with sending officers elsewhere for classes.
“Bringing stuff in, we either have to send our officers off to somebody else that’s hosting it, and that gets expensive,” Minden said.
With the new building, the department can host training sessions itself. That means officers will have more opportunities to complete courses closer to home instead of spending additional time traveling to other locations.
The facility is also expected to support the department’s regular in-service training. Among the activities that can take place there is taser training using virtual reality goggles, giving officers another way to practice skills as part of their ongoing preparation.
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The need for additional training space has become more important as the Bryant Police Department has grown. Minden said the department has nearly doubled in size over the past 20 years. The growth has created a greater need for a dedicated location where officers can regularly train and maintain their skills.
For the department, the facility is about more than simply having another building. It provides a place where training can be organized around the needs of Bryant officers and conducted without the logistical challenges that come with traveling to outside facilities.
The building has also been given a special name. It is now the David J. Jones Training Facility, honoring the late Arkansas businessman and philanthropist.
Minden said Jones was a quiet supporter of the police department and did not seek public recognition for the help he provided. Jones died within the past year.
“We’re very thankful to the citizens of Bryant for doing this for us,” Minden said. “Now we’re able to dedicate this building to him and tell people what he’s done for us.”
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The department’s new training center comes as Bryant continues to grow and its police force takes on an expanding role in the community. Having a dedicated space nearby allows officers to complete required courses and participate in routine training while remaining close to their regular duties.
Department officials say the facility will ultimately help officers spend less time traveling for training and more time available to serve the Bryant community.
For a department that has expanded significantly over the past two decades, the new facility provides a long-term resource for training and professional development. What was once used for businesses serving the public has now been converted into a space designed to prepare the people responsible for protecting it.
