Authorities Thursday unveiled the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s new Mental Evaluation Team Regional Training Facility.
The facility in the 15500 block of Stafford Street will be equipped with three classrooms and interactive simulators, according to the LASD.
Sheriff Robert Luna was among those attending the Thursday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility.
“This new training center will now serve as the center for autism training, along with other programs including crisis intervention and veteran culture competency,” the LASD said in a statement.
According to the department, Industry Mayor Cory Moss, an advocate of the autistic community, has partnered with Kate Movius, founder of Autism Interaction Solutions, “to provide deputies with effective education in autism identification, safety and communication tactics to deescalate situations involving individuals with autism or mental disabilities.”
Once deputies have successfully completed their training, they receive certification, the LASD reported.
For the past three years, the Industry Hills Expo Center had been the site of more than 86 training sessions, the LASD reported. Before that, the classes were held at various LASD facilities.