City of Algood To Purchase Simulator To Help Officers With Scenarios

The City Of Algood will spend new Violent Crime Intervention Funds on a new training simulator designed to help officers deal with shooting scenarios they might encounter.

Police Chief Dale Armour said the device focuses on de-escalation tactics. Armour said he saw it in use at his former agency.

“That’s the whole point of this is to make sure that our guys and girls in the police department when they arrive on scene, that they’re very well trained,” Armour said. “So when they arrive on the scene, they’ve got to know how to handle and follow through with an investigation. And we try to maintain that type of training here so that every officer, no matter what he’s getting involved in or whatever she’s getting involved in, that we can respond to the community and give them the level of service they expect.”

Armour said he will share the simulator with the other departments in the county as a way to share the experience and make sure Putnam County officers have access to the best training.

“I’m one of those people that I believe in sharing resources,” Armour said. “Algood is very well equipped, but still we at times need things and need assistance from other agencies. And in turn, if they need stuff for us, we’re more than happy to assist.”

A sound-proof room will be setup at City Hall for the equipment, which comes at a cost of some $50,000.

“We’ve got to modify a room, basically make it a little more soundproof because this is an interactive thing, so there may be some hollering and screaming on the video,” Armour said. “So we’re going to soundproof the room so it won’t disturb the rest of part of the building. We plan on having it set up so it is available 24 hours a day and with instructors on each shift so that they can go in and keep their shift and their rotation up to date as needed.”

Armour said officers watch a projection screen to see a specific scenario.

“Their scenario is based and they have to respond to whatever scenario comes up in front of them and it kind of gives the offering ability to keep an edge going,” Armour said. “It was a really good tool for us because you need to have an idea in your mind how you’re going to respond to a violent situation, and if you’re not, luckily, we’re not subjected to that every day, but we still need to keep that edge. So that’s part of the reason for this simulator.”