Law enforcement academy gets funding increase in Senate’s proposed budget

The Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) received an increase of $3.4 million for 2017-19 in the Senate’s proposed budget. The increased funding would be used to increase the number of academy classes from ten to eighteen in each fiscal year.

The commission also received a $1.2 million increase to provide ongoing training to officers in the areas of de-escalation tactics, cultural competency, and interacting with populations suffering from behavioral health issues. Unfortunately, the agency did not receive significant funding in the supplemental budget.

BLEA funding is an AWC priority and we will continue to advocate for its inclusion in the final budget.