Law enforcement uses vacant buildings at SB Auto Center for training

Recently, the San Bernardino Police Department and its SWAT team conducted training exercises in vacant buildings at the San Bernardino Auto Center.

The two buildings set aside for them – a former Scion dealership at 650 Auto Center Road and a former Cadillac agency at 1400 Camino Real – were provided by the owner, Cliff Cummings to the departments for training beginning about a month ago.

“I was thrilled to do it,”  said Cummings, who also owns and operates the Toyota and Subaru dealerships at the auto center. “I’m around [law enforcement] people a lot, and we both came up with the idea of using the buildings for training. They thought it was great. A lot of times their training facilities get overused.”

Although the San Bernardino Police Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Department  have their own facilities, the large, empty structures are ideal for training because they allow for more room to move around.

Later next month both agencies will have to find new buildings to hold some of their training exercises.

That’s because  will be torn down to make room for an expansion of the auto center’s Toyota dealership, said Cliff Cummings, owner of both properties.

Both departments are expected to use the buildings before they’re leveled later next month, Cummings said.