St. Charles Sheriff's Office building $6.5 million training center, office complex in Luling

Construction is underway in Luling on a $6.5 million building that authorities say will help the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office consolidate its enforcement divisions in one location and provide its own state-certified training center.The expansion of the law enforcement complex will be a 34,000 square feet multi-purpose center next door on a lot almost 2-1/2 acres on Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway.

It will house the cadet training center, victim's assistance program and the special services division, which includes community outreach and crime prevention programs. Currently those units, and about 30 staffers, are in three different locations around the parish.

"This is probably the most centralized location in the parish," Champagne said of the Luling site. "Everything won't be here, but pretty much all of our enforcement people will be here in Lulling and the beauty of this place ... is that we are centrally located.

"If an emergency happens, we can get to any of the four corners of the parish, whether it's Des Allemands, Bayou Gauche, Montz, St. Rose, Ama, we can get to any location literally in about 10 minutes if we had to mobilize a group of people, like SWAT."

The building is expected to be complete by June 2015. Money to build it was borrowed in a 20-year bond that's backed by an existing property tax, said project manager Major Sam Zinna said.

Murray Architects of Destrehan designed the building. Aegis Construction of LaPlace was the low bidder on the job, authorities said.

The building is being constructed to withstand 150 mph winds. In addition to office spaces, it will include larger, updated classrooms with modern audiovisual equipment, a gymnasium area for physical training and a commercial kitchen for use during an emergency.

"Training has always been at the forefront for my dream for St. Charles Parish," Champagne said. "We have been able to take this agency from a rural country sheriff's office to a modern one. It is the result of the training that we've done."

In 2003, the Sheriff's Office become a Peace Officers Standards and Training Council-certified site, one of 26 in Louisiana. That designation allows other agencies to send their officers to St. Charles Parish for the 12-week law enforcement training program for deputies.

The training center is currently operating in a wing of the Boutte Adult Education center, leased from the public school system, Champagne said. The Sheriff's Officeis currently conducting its 20th training academy class and has trained more than 500 officers, he said.

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St. Charles Sheriff's Office building $6.5 million training center, office complex in Luling