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Residents and advocacy groups urge commissioners to reject sheriff training expansion, call for HEART, housing and services
Summary
Forty-two speakers — advocacy groups, residents and nonprofits — urged the Durham board to vote no on capital funding for a sheriff training facility and to invest instead in the HEART co‑responder program, housing, and mental-health services.
During the public-comment period for agenda item 24-0645, more than 40 residents and representatives filled the chamber and spoke virtually and in person about the proposed sheriff training facility.
Speakers repeatedly urged the board to prioritize alternatives to policing. Jennifer Carroll of the Durham Community Safety and Wellness Task Force said the task force's top policy priority is a countywide HEART expansion and that consolidated emergency dispatch would facilitate that work. "We urge you to vote no on all expenditures requested by the sheriff's office until all parties participate in that partnership," Carroll said.
Many community members expressed fear that the project would scale up militarized training. "The idea that we can both maintain a robust police force while fostering true community safety is fundamentally flawed," said Amanda Wallace, founder of Operation Stop CPS, during public comment.
Organized groups including the ACLU of North Carolina and neighborhood coalitions urged delay until the sheriff's office shares dispatch data and more transparency is provided. Several speakers said they circulated petitions; multiple commenters referenced a petition of roughly 555 signatures asking the board to vote no.
Other residents supported the facility on recruitment and safety grounds, saying the current training space is dilapidated and cannot support modern training. Paul Wilson, a Durham resident, said photos of the existing facility "say it all" and urged support for the project to improve safety and professionalism.
The public comment record captured both the breadth of opposition and a cohort of residents who believe facility investment will improve public safety. Commissioners requested additional briefings and data from staff and the sheriff's office before finalizing implementation steps.
