NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Superintendent Shaun Ferguson today were joined by public safety and City officials to commemorate the completion of a new state-of-the-art firing range housed at the Municipal Training Academy (MTA) in New Orleans East. The $3.7 million reconstruction of the firing range was funded using City bonds.
“It has always been a priority for me and for my leadership team to invest in the tools needed for NOPD to continue to be the best in the United States of America,” said Mayor Cantrell. “Over the past couple weeks, I met with our police officers about their need for more efficient and effective equipment and top-notch infrastructure to protect and serve our community. Today we are doing just that – breathing life back into this firing range that sat dormant for 17 years, which is an investment that directly supports the women and men who make that ultimate sacrifice to serve.”
“Through this investment, we are providing our officers with a training facility of their own that will help them to maintain their required certifications,” said Superintendent Ferguson. “Eliminating the need to travel to facilities managed by other law enforcement agencies will save valuable time and allow them to focus on fighting violent crime.”
“This is a huge win for both my district and our NOPD officers, who have gone far too long without their own firing range,” said Councilmember Oliver Thomas, Jr. “I’m so proud to join Mayor Cantrell, NOPD leadership and project partners in celebrating this new state-of-the-art facility, which will provide much-needed support and training for our police department.”
The MTA Facility, located at 13400 Old Gentilly Road, is a multi-agency training facility primarily used by NOPD and the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) to train public safety personnel. The facility also houses the Range Administration Building, which includes classrooms for annual in-service training, firearms and driving training and storage space for supplies and equipment.
The enhancements include a bullet trap system, a new targeting system and a new control room with Wi-Fi capability to control the targeting system. The facility also features additional training methods such as operable strobe lights and in-car training capabilities, as well as a new drainage system.
The MTA sustained major damages from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and received minimal repairs to provide limited training academy support functions. Criminal Justice Commissioner Tenisha Stevens spearheaded the planning to bring the NOPD Firing Range back to Orleans Parish. The project team includes contactor Tuna Construction and NANO LLC. Architecture firm.
Under the Cantrell Administration, the City of New Orleans has invested $52 million in NOPD capital project improvements.