Use of Force Simulator Helps Train Police Officers
October 15, 2008

By BEVERLY BRYANT
News Staff Writer

PONCA CITY Police Lt. Randy Tyner responds to a scenario during a training session with a use-of-force simulator at the Police Training Center recently. An interactive video system places trainees in high-stress, realistic situations. (News Photo by Beverly Bryant)

The scenario is a high school that's been taken over by an unknown number of shooters who have killed several students and teachers.

"There are multiple bad guys and good guys on the scene. It's your job to take control of the situation," the trainer says.

With that limited information, the training session starts in a use-of-force simulator at the Ponca City Police Training Center.

A life-size video projection in the simulator puts the trainee right inside the high school, turning down hallways, unsure what to expect around the next corner. Will there be another student's body on the floor, or will he come face-to-face with a loaded gun?

Joe Evans of Advanced Interactive Systems of Seattle demonstrated the Prisim system last week at the training center.

"We can put officers in distressing situations and have them solve the problem in simulation," Evans said. "We create as much artificial stress as possible — this system can fire back with 68-caliber pellets fired at a force of 124 feet per second."

Evans said he can run a whole training session without hitting anyone but it is still effective because of the sound.

"Police training is incomplete without scenario-based training," Evans said. "This simulation is very efficient — we can take officers to any scenario in about 45 minutes of training. We have interactive videos of traffic stops, armed robberies and domestic situations, or an officer may just have to ask a trespasser to leave a location."

Just like real life, though, the officer never knows what to expect in any of these scenarios.

Lt. Randy Tyner said a simulator would allow the Ponca City Police Department to offer training not only to its own officers, but to regional surrounding agencies and citizen volunteers.

"Since it operates on so many different levels, we can get more than police officers involved," Tyner said.

This is the second simulation system the department has tested.

"We're doing some comparison shopping," Tyner said.

Deputy Chief Dwaine Vincent said the Police Foundation is in the process of seeking funds to purchase a use-of-force simulator. So far, a garage space at the training center has been converted into a room to house a simulator.

Larry Bittman, vice chairman of the Police Foundation, is coordinating the fundraising. He estimates the cost of redoing the training room and purchasing a simulator will be about $58,000. So far, he said, donations for the project have totaled about $10,000.

Donations for the simulator can be made to the Ponca City Police Foundation, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. The foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible, Bittman said.