Nearly one year ago, the Acworth Police Department moved into our new headquarters knowing the space would open up new opportunities for state-of-the-art training. We have a dedicated training room that has been the home of our Citizens’ Police Academy and other civilian and law enforcement training classes, but in September, we began using new, cutting-edge training equipment that would not have been possible in our old headquarters.
Using funds seized from drug dealers, we purchased a use-of-force training simulator from TI Training. The simulator uses an LCD projector to project life-sized scenarios on the wall. The scenarios range from active shooter situations to simple, non-violent disputes that require little or no police interaction. Officers are faced with choosing what level of force, if any, is necessary in each exercise. Many scenarios can be customized or changed so officers do not become complacent or have foreknowledge of the outcome of each situation.
The simulated situations can be frightening, jarring and quite realistic. The realism can catch even a seasoned, veteran officer off guard. The simulated scenes were filmed with skilled actors and Hollywood-level special effects. The weapons and tools used are real weapons that have been converted for use with the simulator. Everything looks and feels real. All of our officers will have the opportunity to train with the system. It will give them the opportunity to make mistakes and correct those mistakes in a safe environment — something not possible with other types of use-of-force training.
In addition to being an excellent training tool, it is one officers will be able to use more often than traditional training classes. Having more opportunities to train is invaluable; as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. While we may never be perfect, the more opportunities we have to practice, the closer we will be.
This training simulator is a key piece of equipment that fits into our training program and enriches the program as a whole. It will be useful to our officers and the community. We pride ourselves on being a department that is transparent and involved in our community. We want our citizens to understand our thought processes and feel safe knowing we are there to protect them and lay down our lives to do so, if necessary.
When citizens have the opportunity to work with the simulator, they will have a better understanding why officers make the split-second decisions they do. Allowing students who participate in our community programming, such as our Citizens’ Police Academy or our upcoming Trends in Law Enforcement classes, to experience the simulator will help create clarity where there is sometimes confusion.
We have a state-of-the-art training program, excellent equipment, the right community policing philosophy and everything a 21st century police department needs to be successful. But most importantly, we have time dedicated to training our officers. Time is priceless. We dedicate much more than the state-required training time, because training helps our officers develop the experience to make the best decisions in any situation.
I am especially pleased to have the opportunity to share this training with our community. Our community philosophy is simple: Spending time and doing what is right equals trust. I am proud of the relationship community policing has created in Acworth. It has made our city safer and our police department stronger. We are all pieces of a greater puzzle, and the more we work together to achieve our common goals, the more successful we will be as a whole.
Wayne Dennard is the Acworth police chief.
About the Author
