Gwinnett County Police Department celebrates 50 years of running its own training program

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga — Gwinnett County’s Police Training Center is expanding as the department celebrates 50 years of operating its own facility, something rare for Georgia police agencies.

The Lawrenceville facility is where Gwinnett’s police recruits complete more than 800 hours of training, which is more than the minimum required by the state. Training includes classes for firearms, driving, crime scene investigations and other specialties.

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By 2023, a new $6 million building will be completed that will house many training operations.

Monday marked the 50th anniversary of Gwinnett County running its own training program. The Gwinnett Police Department is one of four in Georgia that operate their own training facility.

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“You’re learning the Gwinnett culture from the minute you come in the door,” said Sgt. Jennifer Richter with GCPD.

Recruiting remains an issue in Gwinnett, like in many counties, police say. Some new recruits, however, are arriving from outside the area.

“I wanted to come out here, help the community,” said Jessica Alleyne, a police recruit from New York City who moved to Gwinnett a month ago with her husband. “They’re a little bit more advanced down here, which is great.”

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