Funds for the training facilities remodel came from Measure J-20

PASO ROBLES — Four Cal Poly seniors completed the Paso Robles Police Department (PRPD) Outdoor Training Facility Remodel for their senior project.

And they did so on time and under budget!

Gavin Abraham, Nic Petri, Zach Stellini, and Cole Berkeland, all students of Dan Knight at Cal Poly, completed the project in roughly 400 man-hours.

“Our main goals were to transform the existing facility into what is not only an effective training tool, but also a place that police officers enjoy visiting, and to provide the Paso Robles Police Department with a modern, functional facility that allows its officers to be properly equipped to protect the community,” Abraham said.

The four students completed the project in April, free of charge, to the city for labor.

Funds for the facilities remodel came from the newly passed Measure J-20 funds.

Measure J-20 was passed during the 2020 election as a one-cent sales tax. Funds from the tax prioritize funding towards maintaining essential City services, such as fire and public safety/police services, emergency response and preparedness, road safety, and other city services.

The students completed the remodel under their $20,000 budget.

“Without the generous help from the community of Paso Robles, we would have never been able to succeed,” said Abraham.

Local companies Calportland, Alliance Ready Mix, Savage Concrete, and Quinn Caterpillar helped the students complete the project, for which they are immensely thankful.

“And thanks to the generous hands-on instruction and expertise of Dan Knight and Michael Bridgman, we were able to learn about construction in ways that can never be taught in a classroom. Without them, this project would have never been possible,” Abraham said.

When manpower was a little short, off-duty officers were there to offer their help with the facility.

“In addition, the PRPD was fantastic in supporting us throughout the process. On concrete pour days, Cal Poly students and off-duty PRPD officers teamed up to get the job done. We put our hearts and souls into this project, and I can’t think of a better way to finish my education than to learn by doing and give back to the community I’ve been blessed to call home for the past four years.”

PRPD Commander Caleb Davis said, “After meeting with the Team from Cal Poly, I was initially very impressed with their eagerness to begin the project. The team was very responsive to our concerns and provided options to meet our needs. The team from Cal Poly was professional and informative. They remained within budget and provided us continual updates.”

Commander Davis continued, “The most impressive attribute of the Cal Poly Team was their dedication to finishing the project on time. The team, primarily Gavin, Zack and Nic worked tirelessly to finish the project. The team spent their evenings and weekends on-site to ensure deadlines were met. The team also did a good job of maintaining a clean job site. On behalf of the City of Paso Robles, we are grateful for the partnership we have established with the Cal Poly construction management program and look forward to continuing that partnership in the future.”

The soon-to-be graduating Cal Poly seniors are going off to their next adventures. Still, they have prepared upcoming seniors to take on the next phase of projects for the training facility.