By Councilmember Julie Pace
Julie Pace. Photo Credit: paradisevalleyaz.gov
For approximately ten years, our town has discussed the need for a Paradise Valley Police Training Center and Shooting Range. The Council even funded plans to make this physical project a reality.
The actual funding of the Police Training Center, however, kept getting put off, while the Council worked to pay down the required contributions to the state pension fund. The time is now to move forward with this important physical project.
The PV Police Training Center will improve and strengthen skill sets, provide space for a variety of classroom and physical training sessions, and assist with recruiting the best officers.
We are the safest community in the State of Arizona and we need to support the resources required to maintain that goal.
The training center will integrate space for officers to complete required shooting certifications, instead of traveling to Ben Avery Shooting range, a long drive and time commitment. Phoenix police departments have sound-proofed shooting facilities at each of their precincts. PV has none. And yes, any shooting range will be completely sound-proofed and residents will absolutely not hear any of it.
We have some financial support from the State Legislature with the leadership of Sen. Carine Werner. In 2025, Sen. Werner introduced and worked with colleagues to pass a bill to provide $150,000 to assist with the process to design and build a gun range behind the PV Police Department.
New News! Big Kudos to Sen. Carine Werner who introduced a 2026 bill in the state legislature that seeks $2.5 million to get a PV Police Training Center built in PV. Join us in supporting this important project for PV that will have lasting impact for a safe community for decades into the future.