UP Hosts Fondren Law Enforcement Training Center Open House

Residents and current and former University Park officials toured the new Fondren Law Enforcement Training Center last week.

The new facility at 5620 Fondren Drive includes space for storing motorcycles and evidence, a firing range, classroom space, and dormitory space for use during inclement weather.

The city acquired the 12,600-square-foot space back in 2023, construction was underway throughout 2025 and this year, and the city has been occupying the space since the end of September.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said University Park Police Chief Bill Mathes. “It’s going to relieve our travel burden when it comes to firearms training and give us a lot of extra storage. The motorcycle officers have not had a good place to park their motorcycles. Property and evidence we have in three different places right now, it’s going to be centralized here.”

Former University Park Mayor Tommy Stewart, who was accompanied by current Mayor Randy Biddle, City Council member Melissa Rieman, City Council member Alex Bell, former City Council member Liz Farley, and former City Council member Bob Myers, was among those to tour the facility during an open house on Oct. 15.

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Rachel Snyder

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Rachel Snyder, managing editor at People Newspapers, first joined the staff in 2019. She's covered everything from Dallas and University Park municipal government to business. Rachel began her journalism career at the daily newspaper The Express Star in Chickasha, Okla. She went on to work for the daily Duncan Banner in Duncan, Okla. the weekly Sand Springs Leader, and WFAA-TV in Dallas. She’s a fan of puns and community journalism, not necessarily in that order.