Students to use firing range at Blackwater site

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Students to use firing range at Blackwater site

UNION-TRIBUNE

2:00 a.m. February 9, 2009

OTAY MESA — Southwestern College will send its police academy students to the Blackwater Lodge and Training Center in Otay Mesa for weapons training under an agreement approved by the college's governing board last week.

The college's own instructors will oversee the training. Southwestern will not pay Blackwater Worldwide except to reimburse it for custodians or any other costs of having the facility open so trainees can use the firing range. The college must also make campus conference rooms available to Blackwater.

Blackwater wanted to open a facility in the East County community of Potrero but withdrew its plans last year amid opposition from residents. The issue drew national attention because of Blackwater's role as a contractor in Iraq war.

Blackwater has since opened a facility in Otay Mesa near a Southwestern satellite campus.