Today, Assemblymember Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster) and Erie County Legislator Tim Meyers (D-Cheektowaga) announced that they have secured $650,000 in state and county funding for the Cheektowaga Police Department to complete its new training facility and construct a monument to fallen officers. This funding, including $500,000 in Erie County funding secured by Legislator Meyers and $150,000 in state funding secured by Assemblymember Wallace, covers more than half of the cost of the $1.2 million training facility on Scott Place, which has been under construction since October 2023.

The new training center includes a larger defensive tactic training space, a virtual reality training room, and a garage where officers can practice traffic stop training. The funding will also help fund a new Cheektowaga Police Department monument to honor fallen law enforcement officers.

"The Cheektowaga Police Department has constructed a new training building at our outdoor training facility, significantly enhancing our training capabilities. We will use the building to host training classes in our new classroom and conduct other training, such as defensive tactics, in the garage area for our department and partner agencies,” said Cheektowaga Police Department Chief Brian Coons. “We look forward to the opening of the facility this coming fall."

“I’m proud to help deliver this state-of-the-art training facility for Cheektowaga police officers,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “Our officers face potential threats every day on the job, and by providing a better training space, we can help ensure they can hone and retain the skills needed to best protect themselves and the public. I thank Legislator Meyers for securing nearly half the funds required to make this facility a reality, and I’m pleased to contribute to this important effort.”

“This critical funding helps ensure that Cheektowaga police officers have access to the high-quality training facilities they deserve, while also reducing the impact on Cheektowaga taxpayers,” said Legislator Meyers. “I thank Assemblymember Wallace for her work in securing additional funding for this important project, and I thank Cheektowaga police officers for risking their safety to protect the public.”

"I want to thank Assemblymember Wallace and Legislator Meyers for once again delivering for the Town of Cheektowaga,” said Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak. “This investment in the new police training facility will help our town police officers better protect the community and themselves. This training space will allow the Cheektowaga Police Department to continue being among the best-prepared and best-trained police departments in New York State."