Barracks

BRTC Law Enforcement Training Academy Barracks

At Black River Technical College, one facility sorely needed is a training barracks for the Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) cadets.  Currently, cadets are sent to BRTC from all over the state of Arkansas.  In many cases, expecting students to travel to and from home every day after class is not feasible. Therefore, students must reside in facilities provided by the college. Because no on-campus facilities exist to house cadets, local hotels are rented for the semester at a great cost.

The following list of pros and cons better illustrate why the barracks will be useful to BRTC’s Law Enforcement Training Academy.

• Barracks would allow for stabilizing housing costs. If local hotels raised our rates $10 per person per day, it would cause dire financial problems for LETA, resulting in slashing the number of officers allowable for each class.
• Barracks would allow BRTC to control cadets’ after hours activities such as visiting local clubs, unauthorized visitors, etc.
• Barracks would allow group activities and training to occur after regular hours. Currently, many students drive home at night and are unavailable for evening activities.
• Barracks would allow specialized training for officers who live long distances away. Housing specialized training students for additional classes at any time during the year would mean very little in additional housing costs.
• Students often must run back and forth to hotel for items forgotten. Barracks would alleviate that issue.
• Monitoring students who are ill is difficult when they are off campus.
• Barracks would enable all students to remain as a group. Currently, students who drive back and forth in order to save money miss out on group activities and bonding.
• Some departments do not use BRTC because we do not have a barracks.
• Soon it will become necessary to add a third academy per year. Barracks will greatly reduce the cost of adding the third academy.

The following list of items identify the proposed features of the barracks.

• 30 rooms, double occupancy, no TVs
• 5 instructor rooms, single occupancy with TVs and private bath
• One shower and toilet area between each of the two rooms to be shared by 4 officers
• Day room, lounge with comfortable seating and a television
• Intercom system
• A hotel-style secure card access with record system
• Video security in common areas
• DI hut at entrance area which is a station for the Officer in Charge
• Laundry room
• 2 classrooms: computers, forensics
• Each room would have two twin beds, two desk with lights, and two armoires
• Mailboxes
• Secure ammo and weapons storage room
• Earthquake/storm resistant construction
• Emergency generator
• Ice machine
• Controlled WIFI for internet classes