On Monday, Arizona Western College held a ribbon-cutting event for its law enforcement training academy.
AWC has operated the training academy since 1985. Previously, it ran part-time, offering two semesters per year in 39- to 40-week sessions. In 2019, local law enforcement agencies, including the county sheriff’s office, Yuma Police Department, and AWC Police, advocated for a full-time academy to better serve the community and meet local training needs.
“We were able to come up with a full-time academy that kept taxpayer money in Yuma County and allowed our recruits to stay here in Yuma, helping with family situations.” - Alfonzo Zavala
Alfonzo Zavala, Director of the Law Enforcement Training Academy, highlighted the benefits of the new facility for Yuma: “We were able to come up with a full-time academy that kept taxpayer money in Yuma County and allowed our recruits to stay here in Yuma, helping with family situations.”
“The total investment was just over $10 million, covering the building, equipment, and the resources to move forward with it.” - Alfonso Zavala
Zavala also shared details about the project’s funding and costs: “The building cost $7.5 million, with additional funding from the college. The total investment was just over $10 million, covering the building, equipment, and the resources to move forward with it.”
The training academy now includes four classrooms, two defensive tactics rooms, and dedicated practice spaces for recruits. Zavala says the new facility will enable them to train more recruits.
The academy operates on a non-traditional schedule, with the current class beginning on October 22nd and graduating in December after a 22-week program, graduating an average of 20 to 26 recruits per class.
According to Zavala, the number of recruits depends on the needs of law enforcement agencies.
"We pride ourselves on ensuring our recruits meet or exceed these standards academically and physically." - Alfonzo Zavala
Zavala also noted that the academy often exceeds state requirements, surpassing the training hours mandated: “Arizona Western College falls under Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training. They are the governing board that tells us the basic academy must meet certain minimum requirements. Their minimum requirement is 663 hours; our academy runs 880 hours. We pride ourselves on ensuring our recruits meet or exceed these standards academically and physically.”
Recruits stay on campus in the dorms throughout their training, a benefit for out-of-town candidates and a support for recruits managing the long daily hours of training.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on the 28th. For more information, visit the AWC website.
