05-08-2025
Nassau County's new state-of-the-art police training village is now open
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman took House Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Gabarino and former Rep. Peter King on a tour of the new David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence on Tuesday.
It's a state-of-the-art police training village, with all the things one might expect to find anywhere in the country, including a bank, house of worship, school, and a Long Island Rail Road train and platform.
Other features include a gas station, split-level home, a courtroom, bar and restaurant, and a police station, all for training purposes.
"We can do active shooter [training] in here," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said of the train station. "Colin Ferguson, the anniversary passed last year."
Ryder touted the features of the police station.
"It's like any other station house, has a real fingerprint and photograph machine. These are real, certified cells," Ryder said.
"We should be bringing people from all over the country to train here. This is a fantastic site," Garbarino said.
Blakeman said he has had inquiries from all over the globe.
"We also share with other agencies, both domestic and international," Blakeman said.
On Tuesday, local, state and federal law enforcement met to share counterterrorism ideas within the sprawling Mack Center.
Some in Nassau County criticized spending $70 million on the center rather than addressing the way police work.
"It's important for our police officers to be ready in a worst-case scenario situation. But it's also important for them to know how to de-escalate certain situations, and we want to make sure they have those resources," Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow said.
"I'm going to work with our state and local guys to make sure that a 9/11 never happens again," Garbarino said.
