File photo
File photo
Shawnee Community College in Ullin is among the first to employ a screen-film simulator to teach police trainees how to respond to different emergencies and avoid the overuse of force.
"If you don't have these kinds of simulators to do these kind of drills, the drills happen on the street," SCC communications director Rob Betts told WPSD-6.
The simulator involves a filmed portrayal on a large movie screen. A police trainee stands before it with gun in hand and makes a decision on how to respond to what is shown. The instructor of the program, Eric Howard, is a police officer. He said real-life incidents are enacted on film to train future officers.
"We will go through why you wouldn't want to do something that used to be acceptable and (explain) why it's not now. Every scenario is different," Howard said.
The use of force flared up into a national issue with calls for police reform after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody in May. The new simulator is designed to help prevent such events from happening in the future, although officers noted police often have only seconds to decide how to handle an issue.
The Shawnee Community College class has 22 students. Howard said the simulator allows students to determine the appropriate level of response to a given situation and when deadly force is required.
"These scenarios are good explanations of why in the police academy you're trained to shoot the center mass and not the hand or leg,” he said. “If you shoot someone in the hand or leg, they could not necessarily drop their gun and can still shoot you."
The WPSD-6 report said interested community members are invited visit the class and try the simulator for themselves. Those interested can call 618-634-3200.
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