Dakota County Government: Dakota County Opens SMART Center For First Responder Training

Press release from the Dakota County Government:

9/28/2021

Dakota County has a smart solution to the growing need for crisis intervention training for first responders.

The county formally opened its new Safety and Mental Health Alternative Response Training (SMART) Center during a ribbon-cutting event Monday, Sept. 27. The SMART Center is located along Highway 52 in Inver Grove Heights. The 35,000-square-foot facility is a permanent home for crisis response and de-escalation training that gives law enforcement officers and other first responders the “soft skills" to improve their interaction with people experiencing a mental health crisis.

The nonprofit Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team will teach public safety workers from across the region using five training rooms that can be staged with furniture and other equipment to simulate real-world scenarios. Professional actors and audio and video equipment enhance the training.

The event included U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, state legislators and project partners and supporters, including local law enforcement, mental health advocates, Inver Grove Heights city officials and others.

“This is another example of Dakota County working with partners to get things done," Dakota County Board Chair Mary Liz Holberg said. “Certainly, the mental health issues facing our communities and law enforcement at times seem insurmountable, but with partnerships like this, we're going to make progress."

The training provided at the SMART Center will save lives, Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins said.

First responders encounter people daily who are struggling with mental illness and other crises, Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie said, and they need to be able to effectively help those individuals.

“The SMART Center is the symbol of how we do things like that in Dakota County," Leslie said. “We work toward greater public safety by collaborating, by working together, and we provide cutting-edge training and a safe space for all."

The county received $6.2 million in state bond funds to support the project in 2018. The $12.8 million SMART Center was also supported with $6.6 million in county funds.

The SMART Center also is home to the Dakota County Electronic Crimes Unit and the Dakota County Drug Task Force. The Electronic Crimes Unit helps investigate electronic equipment and evidence in criminal cases across the county. The drug task force is a partnership with 12 police departments focused on drug, gang and violent crimes.

For more information, visit the SMART Center page. 

​

This press release was produced by the Dakota County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.