Governor Wes Moore Tours Secret Service Training Center in Prince George’s County

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Moore yesterday toured the United States Secret Service James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel to receive a briefing on the facility’s expansion plans. The governor reviewed 17 expansion and renovation projects, aligned in steps between FY24 and FY27, including a proposed 755,000 square feet of new facilities, the renovation of 53,000 square feet and continued use of 111,000 square feet.

“It is my honor to stand with the dedicated public servants of the United State Secret Service who are entrusted with protecting key leaders, locations, and events every day; they are the guardians of our democracy,” said Gov. Wes Moore. “Prince George’s County deserves to be the home of greater federal investment, and I am encouraged that the expansion of the Rowley Training Center is ready to move forward.”

The U.S. Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center has served as the training academy for the Secret Service since 1971 and comprises almost 500 acres of land, six miles of roadway, and 38 buildings in Prince George’s County. The facility is one of dozens of sites scattered in and around the 7,000 acres of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Advanced computer-driven methodologies also enable the center to reach beyond its Laurel facilities to educate personnel throughout the Secret Service’s domestic and international field offices.

The facility’s core curriculum is designed for special agents, Uniformed Division officers, special officers, and physical security specialists. In a single year, hundreds of recruits undergo extensive training in firearms marksmanship; use-of-force and control tactics; emergency medical techniques; financial crimes detection; site protection; and water survival training. The facility also offers comprehensive specialized and technology-based training to veteran law enforcement and technical personnel as a means of career enhancement, in addition to specialized training for local, state, federal and military partner organizations including Maryland Department of State Police and Maryland-based departmental law enforcement.

“Maryland is a special place for the Secret Service. It’s the home of the James J. Rowley Secret Service Training Center in Prince George’s County and it’s where every member of the Secret Service starts their law enforcement training,” said Director Kimberly A. Cheatle. “I was honored to welcome Governor Moore and brief him on the world-class instruction, future plans for expansion, and our vision for the construction of a state-of-the-art White House Defense Training Facility that will be a cornerstone for the advanced training of our uniformed division officers, special agents, mission support teams, and partners in the national capital region. We look forward to a continued partnership with the State of Maryland in making the Secret Service’s Rowley Training Center a hub and center of excellence for the training of our personnel, our domestic and international law enforcement partners.”