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FACT BRIEF

Is a ‘cop city’ being built in El Paso, Texas?

By Brandy Ruiz
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YES

A “cop city,” or law enforcement training facility, is currently under construction in Northeast El Paso.

The Joint Police/Fire Department Training Academy is scheduled to be completed in winter 2025. It is part of a larger project funded by a $79.1 million bond approved by voters in 2019.

The project comprises a training academy for the city’s police and fire department, a fire department headquarters, and a vehicle maintenance and logistics center.

The training academy will house an indoor shooting range, fire training props, classrooms, an auditorium, and a mock courtroom. A PowerPoint presentation about the academy from the City of El Paso includes an image of a drug store, post office, and bank as “example police training amenities.”

The term “cop city” arose as a nickname given by protesters to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a proposed law enforcement training facility in Atlanta, Georgia.

Correction (March 22, 2024): The previous version of this story incorrectly referenced the Eastside Regional Police Command Center. The facility referenced in the “cop cities” list is the Joint Police/Fire Department Training Academy.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
City of El Paso FY 2023 Capital Project Report (pp. 40-41)
City of El Paso Joint Police/Fire Department Training Academy, Fire Department Headquarters, and Fire Vehicle Maintenance and Logistics Center
Atlanta Public Safety Training Center FAQs
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El Paso Matters
El Paso Matters is a member-supported nonpartisan media organization that uses journalism to expand civic capacity in our region. We inform and engage with people in El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and neighboring communities to create solutions-driven conversations about complex issues shaping our region.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.