MCTC and MSU – Joint Law Enforcement / Criminal Justice Center

Location: Brooklyn Park, MN
Total Square Footage: 65,000 sq ft
Construction Cost: $14 million

The degree programs in criminal justice and law enforcement offered by Metropolitan State University (MSU) and Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) are currently scattered in multiple satellite locations. Upon completion, this facility will co-locate the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice academic programs in a single, collaborative environment. The new facility will be constructed on the campus of Hennepin Technical College which has available site area, but an urgent need for additional classroom space which can also be addressed in the new facility. This partnership of three institutions promises to be a precedent setting paradigm in finding synergies and common interests for the mutual benefit of several institutions.

The new facility will feature state-of-the-art smart classrooms, technology enhanced forensic labs, a tactical simulation environment and a firing range. The simulation lab incorporates flexible real-world simulated environments that law enforcement graduates may encounter. Vehicle access, upper level mezzanines and access to an exterior simulation courtyard increase the flexibility of staging mock events. Simulation lab activities are digitally recorded for faculty/student review and critique in follow-up classroom sessions. In an effort to educate the general public in the various aspects of law enforcement training, many areas will incorporate viewing areas for visitors and students.