The Sheriff’s Office plans to relocate several parts of its agency to the site once upgrades are complete.
ABBEVILE, Ala. - The Henry County Sheriff’s Office hosted its first law enforcement training event at the former Camp SAYLA facility, months after receiving approval to convert the once-abandoned site into a public safety training center.
The Henry County Commission approved the conversion of Camp SAYLA — a defunct facility previously used for at-risk teens — into a law enforcement training center. Sheriff Eric Blankenship said the project has moved forward without dedicated budget funding. “The catch to that was, ‘Yes, you can, but we don’t have the money in a budget to do anything to it,’ so a lot of the stuff with the training center is work that we’ve done ourselves,” Blankenship said. “So we’ve had just deputies on their own time, on the weekends. We’ve been out here, we’ve been cleaning up, we’ve been trying to fix back and make repairs on little stuff that needed to be done to make it useful and functional for this week.” The agency hosted several small law enforcement agencies from across the state for SWAT school through the Alabama Tactical Officers Association. The training, provided free through scholarships, prepares officers for situations including barricaded suspects and high-risk warrant service.Nick Wilson of the Brent Police Department said the cost of similar training is often beyond the reach of smaller agencies. “Classes like this are going to cost quite a bit of money for the department, and a lot of times smaller agencies just don’t have the financial resources to be able to do that,” Wilson said. “We have about seven people in our department, and we’re from a very small community, and it’s extremely important for us to be able to have training like this because it enables us to serve the community a lot better.” Colin Wilson of the Saraland Police Department said the training expanded his professional skill set as a medic on the police department’s SWAT team. “The training’s been great. I already have the medical training side of it. Not too experienced with the law enforcement side. And so, getting this training will allow me to go back and just be able to see the other side ― the law enforcement side ― and be able to help my team in that capacity,” Wilson said. Major improvements to the facility are still needed, with funding identified as the primary obstacle. The Sheriff’s Office plans to look into state and federal funding opportunities, but needs all the financial help it can get and welcomes donations. The Sheriff’s Office plans to relocate several parts of its agency to the site once upgrades are complete. Future expansion plans include the potential addition of a gun range and aircraft hangar. Blankenship said the facility would complement the Wiregrass Public Safety Center located several miles away in Houston County. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in theDothan leaders look to Nevada to find blueprint for new arena
Camp SAYLA Now Alabama Camp For At-Risk Teens Defunct At-Risk Youth Facility Eric Blankenship Alabama SWAT Training Free Training Through Scholarships Classrooms Lodging For Training Police Officers
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