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Durham residents and commissioners spar over $16 million sheriff training facility; board seeks more data and HEART expansion options
Summary
At a Jan. 6 Durham County work session, dozens of residents opposed a proposed $16 million Sheriff’s Training Facility and urged expansion of the HEART program; staff described a 10,000-square-foot center with ranges and evidence storage, and the Board directed staff to return with data on 911 call types, staffing and HEART expansion options in March–April 2025.
At a Jan. 6 Durham County Board of Commissioners work session, staff presented plans for a proposed $16 million Durham County Sheriff’s Training Facility and dozens of residents urged the board to halt the project and redirect funds to community-based services such as the HEART program, schools and affordable housing.
Peri Manns, deputy director of Engineering and Environmental Services, told the board the proposal would consolidate classroom and range training on a site the Sheriff’s Office has used for nearly 40 years, and would add a new 10,000‑square‑foot building, a renovated firearms qualifications and tactical range (including a 500‑yard rifle range), secure vehicle impound storage and perimeter fencing. David Labarre, Director of Planning and Development with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, said the facility would allow the county to hold Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) on site and avoid leasing off‑site classrooms.
Several residents who addressed the board, and a larger group who submitted written comments, urged commissioners to reject spending on the training center. An emailed comment from Brad Hightower said, "Please do not approve spending $16 million on the Sheriff’s Training Center before exercising your commitment to expanding the HEART Program throughout the county." Other emailed writers echoed concerns about jail conditions, the timely delivery of domestic violence protective orders and the county’s oversight of the Sheriff’s Office.
Some speakers framed the issue as one of public‑safety priorities. John Orth, who registered support for the facility, said the "continued increase in crimes in Durham requires more well trained deputies," and other residents argued the facility would aid recruitment and retention.
Board members pressed staff and Sheriff’s Office representatives on whether the project could be paired with expansion of HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams). Vice‑Chair Dr. Mike Lee said he viewed the project as "both" a training facility and an element of workforce and community care planning and encouraged balance between training and care for residents. Sheriff Birkhead said he was "in support of further discussions about the expansion of HEART," according to the meeting record.
Environmental concerns surfaced in questions about the site, which previously contained a landfill. Joel Jones, project manager, said soil testing "showed no danger to the environment" and that construction would include capping the former landfill footprint so structures would be built on new material; he committed to returning to the board if testing revealed changes.
Commissioner Stephen Valentine said he "unequivocally supported the HEART program" while also affirming a role for law enforcement, framing HEART as an "effective intervention." The board did not take a final vote on the training facility at the work session; the project and its capital funding appear on the consent/agenda materials for the board’s regular session.
After discussion, the board issued a set of directives: staff should provide disaggregated data on the types of calls received by the Sheriff’s 911 call center; return in March or April 2025 with information on next steps for possible countywide HEART expansion; provide a comprehensive list of deputy onboarding and post‑academy trainings; and supply recruitment and vacancy data for the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.
The work session record shows the proposal’s budget entries in the county materials: a Capital Project Amendment allocating $16,555,735 of Limited Obligation Bond funding to the Sheriff’s Training Facility project and a construction manager at‑risk guaranteed maximum price contract with CT Wilson Construction listed in agenda materials. The work session itself included review and Q&A on those materials rather than a final approval vote.
Next steps: staff will return with requested data and HEART expansion options in March–April 2025; the project remains listed in the county’s capital materials and, according to the meeting packet, requires the regular session process if the board moves to formally approve funding.
