MORGANTOWN — Morgantown Police Chief Eric Powell said it’s simply too early to tell if the acquisition of the former Defense in Depth indoor gun range and training facility will have an appreciable impact on his department’s recruiting efforts.
Roughly a quarter of the department’s 76 allotted officer positions are currently unfilled.
The draw of a city-funded, department-operated, state-of-the-art training center on potential officers was one of the primary talking points when Morgantown City Council opted to take on the facility late last year at a cost of $500,000 up front and a 10-year lease totaling $240,000 annually.
Operating under the name Morgantown Emergency Training Center, the 19,938 square-foot facility has been operational since February.
While its impact on recruitment remains to be seen, Powell said “the ease of access for our officers has yielded noticeable improvements in officer proficiency when it comes to specific areas of training,” including physical fitness training and use of firearms, tasers and pepper spray.
The MPD recently added a civilian employee to assist with a number of efforts, including the switch to city branding, an interior redesign and an increase in availability.
“I believe that as more groups and individuals are exposed to the facility the impact for recruitment and membership, for lack of better word, will increase greatly,” Powell said. “We have been hindered by staffing constraints as it relates to offering courses to the general public. Now that we have a dedicated non-officer on staff it will be much easier to begin scheduling those classes and providing that type of access to the general public.”
Outside of in-house training, the facility has thus far been used to host instructor development courses for MPD officers and other law enforcement agencies.
Powell said cadets from the Fairmont State University Police Training Academy have taken advantage of the site as have WVU Medicine security, Bearing Global Solutions security personnel and the Monongalia County Junior Air Rifle Club.
“Up to this point we have tried to honor pre-existing agreements with agencies that were already utilizing the facility under the previous tenants,” Powell said.
A copy of the usage contract with scheduled fees was sent to area law enforcement agencies and private entities employing security personnel last week.
Both Granville Police Chief Craig Corkrean and Star City Police Chief Jessica Colebank said they have interest in utilizing the facility, but cost is going to be a major deciding factor.
Both agencies primarily use the county’s outdoor range, which is free to law enforcement.
“We have used Defense in Depth in the past for some qualifications. It wasn’t our primary place to go just because of the price. The Mon County range is free to law enforcement. It’s outside. It’s got the rifle range and there were some different things we could do up there. Defense in Depth was a little bit limited in what it had to offer, but I’m sure we’ll collaborate with Morgantown PD on some training or some qualification stuff,” Corkrean said.
Colebank said her department did use the facility for its annual firearms qualifications and paid to send an officer to a recent training session.
“Cost is always going to be a priority for any municipality or any agency. For us, it’s been beneficial to not have a cost associated with training other than participating in hosted training events — but that’s expected,” Colebank said.
The Dominion Post reached out to Sheriff Perry Palmer regarding his department’s interest in the facility but did not receive a response in time for this report.
Defense in Depth opened in 2017. The $10 million indoor range and training center was touted as the largest state-of-the-art shooting range in West Virginia.
At the heart of the facility are two banks of eight 25-foot shooting lanes, each rated to stop anything up to a .50 BMG — a military anti-material round. At the time of its opening, Defense in Depth was one of two ranges in the United States equipped with a Ti Outdoors live-fire simulator capable of engaging shooters in more than 800 scenarios.
When the opportunity to provide those assets to the MPD came before Morgantown City Council in October 2022, it initially looked like a foregone conclusion.
Council voted unanimously on Oct. 4 to move forward with the agreement between the city and the property owner, Glenmark Holding LLC.
But the longer the issue was before council, the less sure it appeared.
Members of the public questioned whether the city should invest millions to access property it will not own. And if the city wants to spend money on a training facility, should it not have to conduct a bidding process?
In an odd turn, when the matter appeared before city council on Oct. 18, it was listed as the first reading despite members believing the initial vote was already held two weeks prior.
This time, the vote went 6-1 with then-Deputy Mayor Danielle Trumble voting in the minority, explaining she would prefer the funds be used to raise officer salaries.
At that point everything stopped.
The issue didn’t return to council’s agenda until Dec. 6 after city administration recommended council delay potential adoption until after passage of an update to the city’s purchasing procedures aimed at, among other things, clarifying when competitive bidding is required.
In its final vote, council split 4-3, with Trumble, Brian Butcher and former councilor Ixya Vega voting against the move.
Prior to the vote, Morgantown City Manager Kim Haws said the city anticipates an all-in annual cost to operate the facility (minus lease payments) will be between $127,000 and $156,000 out of the city’s general fund.
At the time, Powell told council “It takes a leap of faith a little bit. It takes, maybe, a little bit of faith in me and my abilities and my department’s abilities to make it work.”
He remains confident that it will.
“This project comes with great potential and as with all large-scale endeavors will take a great deal of time getting the pieces in place to realize that potential,” he said. “We are working diligently in trying to achieve our goals and providing a unique place that our city can be proud of.”
The Dominion Post made multiple requests to the city for information regarding the regular monthly expenses, and revenues, associated with the facility but did not receive that information in time for this report.
