Faculty Will Teach in Criminal Justice Center, Part of New Dallas Police Academy

UNT Dallas faculty will teach Dallas police academy recruits and officers will earn credits toward a degree in a new Criminal Justice Center – all part of the city’s cutting-edge Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC), for which ground was broken on Sept. 3, 2026.

The multi-building development will sit on 20 acres of the UNT Dallas campus. It includes classrooms, indoor and outdoor physical training areas, computer labs, an event and community space and other areas for teaching and learning.

New Era of Training and Collaboration

“For too long, police training and higher education have run on separate tracks — one preparing officers for the job, the other preparing them for a degree,” said UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach, PhD. “This facility brings those tracks together. It's a unique and innovative model that we believe the rest of the country will be watching, and one we hope others will follow.”

The LECT will be the premier law enforcement education and instruction facility in the U.S. and the only one built upon such a novel partnership between the city and a public university. It will provide basic and advanced training in a one-of-a-kind setting, where a successful criminal justice and sociology department already exists.

“Young people attending UNT Dallas will learn about careers in criminal justice and law enforcement that they never considered,” said State Sen. Royce West (D-TX 23). “This endeavor will help recruit the next generation of officers – the best and brightest in the country.”

Much of the funding for the $200+ million center comes from a May 2024 bond approved by voters, as well as the State of Texas and generous gifts from private donors and the Communities Foundation of Texas. The remaining amount needed to close the gap is expected to be generated by an ongoing outreach and fundraising campaign and a second bond election in November.

Generational Investment, College Credit for Officers

“This is a generational investment in public safety,” said Lynn McBee, the city’s Workforce Czar and one of the key fundraisers for the facility. “This is the result of collaboration among the city, the state, the university and the philanthropic community.”

UNT Dallas criminal justice students will benefit through close proximity to the rigorous training cadets undergo. In turn, cadets and officers already serving will earn credit toward a degree in several ways:

• An officer who completes the Dallas Police Department's academy, a ten-month program, can earn up to 42 hours of academic credit toward a baccalaureate degree
• Officers who complete TCOLE-licensed training, a six-month program, can earn up to 33 hours

UNT Dallas already offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with concentrations in areas such as mental health policy and emergency services administration.

Dallas Police Department command personnel will have opportunities for executive leadership training and instruction in other topics – all in an effort to elevate their knowledge, skills and capabilities.

The UNT Dallas College of Law in downtown Dallas provides additional pathways for an advanced degree.

Stopping Crime Before It Happens

“We will be the most proactive police department in the U.S.,” said Chief Daniel Comeaux. “We want to stop crime before it happens.”

The department needs to hire hundreds of new officers, so a new police academy of this stature is long overdue. It will replace an aging, rented warehouse where training has been conducted since 1990. 

"They (new officers) will carry what they've learned into the neighborhoods of the City of Dallas," said Sen. West.

UNT Dallas faculty and staff will assist in the evaluation of DPD programs, advise on policy and conduct research into the effectiveness of various initiatives.

“The backbone of public safety is the men and women who wear the uniform,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “They deserve world-class training, tools and resources. Dallas will set a new standard for police training.”

Designed to Meet Many Needs

The LETC’s design has evolved over the past several years through input from the city and police leaders, the university, the community and architects specializing in such facilities. The primary design firm is HKS; others will be involved in construction and project management.

“There's something powerful about proximity. Locating the UNT Dallas Criminal Justice Center alongside the Training Academy means our students will be learning just steps away from where the work actually happens,” said President von Eschenbach. “That's an experience you can't replicate in a traditional classroom, and it will shape how we teach criminal justice at UNT Dallas for years to come.”

The city plans to build a separate Public Safety Training Complex on the property of Executive Airport for a shooting range, simulated city for tactical exercises, and an emergency vehicle obstacle course (EVOC) for training officers to drive in crisis situations.

The LETC on the UNT Dallas campus is expected to open in 2028.