By Thanksgiving, the $13 million Cobb Public Safety Police Academy is expected to open.

The site is the former BJ’s Wholesale Club, 2435 East-West Connector, Austell.

Funding has come largely from the 2016 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) which is the extra one-cent sales tax.

Cobb County Police Chief Tim Cox said Cobb Police runs one of the longest training academies at 26 weeks for basic training of recruit officers.

Now with the new academy, Cobb Police will have the ability to be more flexible with that training to meet changes required by the state or encouraged by the community and bring in national training, Cox added.

This facility is the most modern in Georgia, according to Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt.

Cox said there will be more classroom space, more tactical training, meeting rooms that can be used by any part of Cobb County government or the community and an auditorium that seats 400.

Video: youtu.be/IFrWzyFHXAM

Information: CobbSPLOST2022.org