Boone County’s regional law enforcement training center will also serve statewide role

Boone County’s presiding commissioner says construction of the Boone County Sheriff’s regional law enforcement training center in Columbia will allow the sheriff’s office to expand exceptional law enforcement training to partners statewide.

Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick, Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey and others spoke at Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony near the sheriff’s department. Sheriff Carey notes that since 2020, his department has lacked a permanent training site for law enforcement deputies.

Commissioner Kendrick says the new facility will provide an all-in-one training center for law enforcement and first responders in Boone County, as well as those who serve statewide. The new facility will include a 160-seat training room, an indoor tactical gun range, a large indoor “warehouse” area for traffic stop training as well as school resource officer training.

Construction is expected to be done by late 2025, weather permitting.