USG Sponsors New Training Center and Gymnasium at Police Academy

June 12, 2009

On June 12 U.S. Ambassador John Tefft will dedicate the MoIA Police Academy's new gymnasium and training center funded by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau (INL) at a cost of over $1.5 million.   

The new constructions will provide a much-improved venue for police training and instruction essential to achieving the goal set by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The training center and the gymnasium will help the MoIA develop a capable and professional national police force dedicated to the rule of law and the protection of Georgian citizens and their property. 

The MoIA Police Academy was founded in 1978 and reorganized into its current institution in 1994.  The Academy employs about 51 personnel, 21 of whom work for the Professional Training Division.   

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed the specifications, announced and awarded a contract to "Lindsay," a Georgian building company and monitored the construction of the buildings.    Since 2004, INL has funded a variety of projects to support the MoIA Police Academy to include the procurement of uniforms, two firearms training simulator infrared equipment for simultaneous interpretation, and the renovation of the English language lab.  The total assistance provided to the Academy is $6 million.