More Than a Groundbreaking: CommUNITY, Commitment & the Future of Southern Dallas

Today marked more than a groundbreaking—and it was amazing to witness.

As someone who is not a Dallas native, but who has worked in and alongside this city for more than 19 years, I have had the privilege of watching Dallas grow, evolve, overcome challenges, and continue to dream bigger.

For more than 19 years, Dallas has been a significant part of my professional journey. I have had the opportunity to work alongside residents, leaders, organizations, businesses, and institutions that care deeply about the future of this city.

But today, I witnessed something more than another groundbreaking in the Southern Sector.

I witnessed commUNITY up close and personal.

I saw what can happen when people, institutions, leaders, organizations, and communities come together around a shared vision.

I saw partnership.

I saw possibility.

And most importantly, I saw people coming together to build something for the future.

Today marked the beginning of a new chapter for Southern Dallas—and a long-overdue investment in the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our great city.

Dallas officially broke ground on the new Dallas Police Department Law Enforcement Training Center at UNT Dallas, a planned 20-acre, state-of-the-art training campus in Southern Dallas.

And make no mistake—this is long overdue.

Since 1990, the Dallas Police Department has operated its Basic Training Academy at 5310 Red Bird Center Drive. The facility was never intended to become the permanent home of a major metropolitan police department. Yet more than three decades later, Dallas officers are still training in that same temporary facility.

In 2012, the department had to expand into another leased facility at 5610 Red Bird Center Drive because the original space was no longer large enough to meet the department's training needs.

Just imagine that.

A facility that was supposed to be temporary became a training home for more than 36 years—while thousands of officers walked through its doors preparing to serve and protect Dallas.

And while the building may have been temporary, the commitment inside those walls was anything but.

For more than three decades, officers and recruits walked through those doors with a purpose bigger than themselves.

They trained there.

They challenged themselves there.

They built friendships there.

They experienced victories and setbacks there.

They learned the responsibility that comes with wearing a badge and carrying the trust of an entire community.

Generations of Dallas police officers began their careers in those spaces.

They went on to answer calls in our neighborhoods, stand beside families during some of their hardest moments, respond when people needed help, protect our businesses, schools, and communities, and make countless decisions—sometimes in a matter of seconds—that helped shape the safety of our city.

The facility may have been temporary, but the dedication of the men and women who trained there helped build a lasting legacy of service to Dallas.

And now, Dallas has an opportunity to honor that legacy while preparing for the future.

In 2021, the City of Dallas and UNT Dallas entered into a partnership to explore the development of a new law enforcement training center.

The vision was bigger than simply constructing another building.

It was about creating a modern training environment that connects law enforcement, higher education, research, technology, workforce development, and community safety.

And now, that vision is becoming reality.

The new center is expected to provide space for basic and in-service training, physical training, a criminal justice center, and other modern training capabilities—giving Dallas officers an environment designed for the realities of 21st-century policing.

But what excites me most is where this investment is happening.

This isn't simply a police facility being built somewhere in Dallas.

This investment is happening in Southern Dallas, at UNT Dallas.

That matters.

It creates an opportunity to strengthen the connection between higher education, criminal justice, workforce development, technology, and public safety while continuing to invest in a part of Dallas that deserves to see transformational opportunities take root.

Southern Dallas is not simply a place where projects happen.

Southern Dallas is a place where futures are being built.

And today was another reminder of that.

Today, I didn't just see concrete, construction plans, or a ceremonial groundbreaking.

I saw generations coming together.

I saw the legacy of officers who served before us.

I saw the current generation of officers who continue to serve.

And I saw the possibility of what this next generation of Dallas police officers can become.

That is commUNITY.

Government.

Higher Education.

Law Enforcement.

Community.

Business.

Philanthropy.

Residents.

Different roles.

Different perspectives.

One shared vision.

And perhaps that is what made today so meaningful to me.

I may not live within the Dallas city limits, but for more than 17 years, I have had the privilege of working in this city, serving alongside people who care deeply about its future, and witnessing the incredible work happening throughout its communities.

I've watched Southern Dallas continue to grow, evolve, and position itself for a future that is worthy of the people who call it home.

Today was another step forward.

And I am excited about what comes next.

I am excited about the possibilities this new training center can create.

I am excited about the opportunities for education, innovation, partnership, and professional development.

I am excited about what it means for the future of Dallas police officers.

And I am excited about what it means for Southern Dallas.

Because when we invest in people, when we invest in education, when we invest in opportunity, and when we bring different voices and perspectives to the same table, we create possibilities that none of us can create alone.

That is the power of commUNITY.

Because this isn't just about constructing a new training center.

It's about honoring the men and women who have served Dallas, preparing those who will serve tomorrow, strengthening public safety, creating new opportunities, and continuing to invest in the communities that make this city great.

Today, I witnessed more than progress.

I witnessed possibility.

I witnessed partnership.

I witnessed pride.

I witnessed people coming together around a shared vision for a better Dallas.

I witnessed commUNITY.

And I am grateful I got to witness it up close and personal.

— Kimberly Ann Speaks

Speaking truth. Connecting community.