DOCJT, KSP outline indoor firing‑range plans for Western Kentucky campus and Frankfort academy

Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) and Kentucky State Police (KSP) officials briefed the Public Safety and Judiciary Subcommittee on Feb. 11 about plans for training facilities, including requests for indoor firing ranges at a new Western Kentucky DOCJT campus and at the KSP academy in Frankfort.

DOCJT deputy leadership said the city of Madisonville donated roughly 270 acres of reclaimed strip‑mine property for a Western Kentucky campus. The legislature previously allocated $50,000,000 for the campus’ first phase, DOCJT said; architects were contracted and the first two buildings — an administrative/classroom building and a high‑bay tactical building — have been bid with an expected completion timeline of about 18 months for those structures.

DOCJT presented cost comparisons: the Richmond indoor firing range built last year was described as roughly 29,645 square feet with a construction cost of $28,536,000. DOCJT said a proposed Madisonville facility would be larger (DOCJT presented an estimate of roughly 51,900 sq ft) with an estimated cost of about $51,727,000, driven by inflation, more structural work for a reclaimed mine site and additional classrooms and a firearms simulation room.

KSP Major Bruce Button described the agency’s need for an on‑site indoor range at its Frankfort academy on Coffee Tree Road. Button said KSP currently borrows ranges from other agencies and private vendors — including Frankfort Police Department and an Indiana vendor — and sometimes pays to use commercial ranges. He said a dedicated on‑site range would support cadet training, in‑service classes and post training without the logistics and costs of regular travel.

Committee members asked whether existing ranges (for example the Richmond range) could be shared. DOCJT and KSP officials said Richmond is heavily used for concurrent classes and that logistics, scheduling and travel distances limit shared use; DOCJT also noted outdoor ranges such as Boonesborough are flood‑prone and that indoor West Kentucky facilities reduce weather vulnerability.

The hearing did not result in a vote. DOCJT and KSP provided estimates, described logistics and offered to continue coordinating with the committee and other law enforcement partners on capacity and scheduling.