From Times of San Diego

A new San Diego Probation Department regional training facility in Scripps Ranch that is designed to provide officers from around the region with “cutting-edge training enhancement opportunities” officially opened Thursday, authorities announced.

Probation Chief Adolfo Gonzales and County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar were among the officials on hand to cut the ribbon on the $5 million, 34,615-square-foot facility.

Local law enforcement, probation staff and community service partners were among the guests.

“The beauty of it is this will be a facility that the entire region can benefit from,” Gonzales said. “Our officers will be better equipped and better trained to provide better service to the community.”

Among the highlights of the new facility are a wellness center, an auditorium with a stage that can fold up to offer more floor space, a mat-training room, a use-of-force simulator, and a room with moveable walls with viewing from above for instructors, a library and computer room, and a gymnasium.

About 30 probation employees will work out of the facility, and the capacity in the auditorium is 124.

The facility will be used by new probation academy students and the Safety and Weapons Academy, which teaches officers tactics and how to protect themselves in the field. Additionally, all probation officers who carry weapons must attend different monthly training requirements on topics such as de-escalation strategies and treatment-oriented education, Gonzales said.