Indian Hills receives grants for criminal justice training center

Indian Hills Community College has been named the recipient of three community grants to support the creation of a new training facility for current and future law enforcement officers, according to a news release from the college.

The Van Buren Foundation, Inc., the Community Foundation of Van Buren County and the Mahaska County Community Foundation have each awarded the college $10,000 to help renovate 10,600-square-feet of existing space at the Workforce Training Center on the Indian Hills North Campus in Ottumwa. If all goes as planned, the center will open to students and local law enforcement officers for training in Spring of 2023.

“Currently, our criminal justice program is nomadic. They move around our campus and use any available space for things like hand-to-hand combat training or search and seizures. This space, however, will be their own,” said Dr. Matt Thompson, president of Indian Hills Community College. “The center will also be used to provide ongoing training to current law enforcement officers from throughout IHCC’s 10-county region.”

The center will include a multipurpose training room with movable walls so the instructors can configure the space as they need it. Other features will include an evidence collection laboratory, a virtual reality training space, classrooms and locker room facilities.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this project, to help train law enforcement in our community and give the students the space they deserve,” said Amy Rodgers-Toubekis, president of the Mahaska County Foundation.

The Criminal Justice Training Center was one of five projects included the Nov. 2021 bond referendum vote. The $28 million bond was passed with 73% of voters in the college’s service area approving the initiative.

“The scope of work for these projects is currently around $42 million, and with rising materials costs, we knew we needed to raise dollars elsewhere to complete the projects,” said Dr. Thompson. “We are grateful for the Van Buren Foundation, Inc, the Community Foundation of Van Buren County and the Mahaska County Community Foundation for their support and we look forward to getting started on this project.”

The Criminal Justice Training Center renovation is set to start in the winter of this year.