ARLINGTON—Just five months after its soft opening in October, the Washington State Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) held its ribbon cutting on Thursday, March 20, for its newest regional law enforcement training center—Northwest Academy. Located in Arlington, the new training center will be Washington State’s third regional training facility within the last two years following Pasco, which opened in 2023, and Vancouver in January of 2024.
“Washington state ranks last per capita in the number of law enforcement officers we have, that is a problem… The good news is that we have a lot of Washingtonians working together to address that and the opening of this facility is a key part of that,” said Governor Bob Ferguson (D).
Governor Ferguson added that with the opening of the Arlington campus, more well-trained law enforcement officers will be on the field faster which is a metric for success.
Governor Ferguson addressed the importance Senate Bill 5060, a $100 million hiring grant program to strengthen police departments across Washington. The bill, sponsored by Senator Jeff Holly (R-Spokane) who attended Thursday’s opening, is currently in the Senate Rules Committee which is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck.
“It does take a village; it does take a team to make this happen,” said Ferguson. “So, I am just so thankful to everybody here who made it [the new facility] happen and look forward to getting those well-trained law enforcement officers out there keeping us safe.”
The 2024 supplemental budget appropriated $6.987 million in 2024 and $4.968 million for 2025 to establish and provide basic law enforcement training at the three locations.
The 38,736-square-foot Arlington campus—to be called the Northwest Academy—will have one classroom teaching basic law enforcement training—encompassing 720 hours of training—between two classes holding 30 law enforcement officers in-training at a time, reducing the need to relocate to Burien.
The Arlington campus features VR simulation technology that immerses recruits in real-world policing scenarios. Two simulation houses with movable walls allow officers to practice building searches and tactical maneuvers. An indoor training warehouse supports vehicle-based scenarios, high-risk stops, and all-weather instruction.
“This facility allows us to train more officers where they live, ensuring agencies can hire from within their communities,” said Monica Alexander, WSCJTC Executive Director. “Our regional academy model removes barriers for those unable to relocate for training while strengthening public safety across Washington.”
The facility also offers advanced training in firearms education, patrol tactics, and instructor development.
Before the regional training centers began opening, those seeking careers in law enforcement typically waited 18 months before starting their training, taking up to two years before serving communities. Now if someone wants to begin their career in law enforcement training that person can begin right away, Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon shared with the Lynnwood Times.
“We have two recruits—John Merrick and Alex Hankins—from Lynnwood starting next week, so I am really excited,” Chief Langdon said. “Quality trainers, its local, this is where it’s supposed to be.”
Since the southeast (Pasco) and southwest (Vancouver) campuses opened, 164 law enforcement officers have graduated and 135 corrections officers who are now serving Washington communities. There are currently 32 corrections officers scheduled to graduate on May 8th from the Vancouver campus. A class of law enforcement officers is scheduled to graduate from the Vancouver campus on April 24th and on June 17th from the Pasco campus.
“When our recruits report here for training on Monday, all regional training academies plus Spokane, and our headquarters academy in Burien will be training officers,” Senator John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) told attendees on Thursday. “Five academies training recruits in Washington state. That is phenomenal. We are training more recruits than at any other time in state history!”
Senator Lovick shared that he looks forward continuing to work alongside Governor Ferguson in “getting officers to the communities that need them faster than ever before.”
“Governor Ferguson, you have always supported law enforcement. As Attorney General, in May of 2023, you stood by our side at our first ribbon cutting ceremony in Pasco. Now, as Governor, you have made your unwavering dedication to public safety clear. I am excited to continue to work alongside you to ensure that those in our state not only are safe, but that they feel safe,” said Lovick.
Monica Alexander, Executive Director for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, thanked everyone for coming together to bringing new training centers across the finish line, including Governor Ferguson for his continued support in funding and hiring law enforcement. The WSCJTC earlier this year earned Accreditation from the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
For 13 years, according to the Washington Association of Sheriff’s & Police Chiefs (WASPC), the state has ranked last in the county with 1.29 commissioned law enforcement officers per 1,000 people in 2023, the lowest on to date on record. The national average is 2.31 officers per 1,000 people.
Data from 2023 shows a dramatic drop in commissioned law enforcement officers across Washington state starting in 2020 and persisting to the end of the reporting period. To address this shortage, Governor Jay Inslee during a July 2022 press conference, revealed a plan to add four law enforcement training centers across the state—Pasco, Everett (now Arlington), Bellingham, and Vancouver—to relieve the then four-month backlog of training recruits at the state’s only Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Burien.
Senator Lovick (D-Mill Creek) led the effort in 2023 and in the 2023-25 Operating Budget passed that year, monies were appropriated for three regional police training centers in the city of Pasco, and in Skagit and Clark counties. In the supplemental budget— Engrossed Senate Bill 5950—passed on March 7, lawmakers agreed to the Senate’s proposal of replacing Skagit with Snohomish County with hopes to close the gap of hundreds of police shortages across Washington state.
“I’m thrilled to have this new facility located here in Arlington to support our law enforcement personnel in Snohomish County,” Snohomish County Council President Nate Nehring told the Lynnwood Times.
Also, in attendance were Carolyn Eslick (LD-39), Arlington Mayor Don Vanney, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, and Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey, along with council members from local cities.
Arlington Police Chief Jonathan Ventura assisted in scouting out the location of the new facility which is located at 19405 68th Drive Northeast that used to be utilized by UPS. The location is also near a variety of housing and dining options, he shared with the Lynnwood Times as a contributing factor to selecting the location.
The Northwest Academy will serve Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties at a rate of approximately 60 graduates annually.
Author: Mario Lotmore
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