Dunwoody Police officers will soon be able to train with a firearms simulator. The 180-degree, three-screen simulator puts officers in lifelike situations to test their skills in such areas as communication, de-escalating stressful incidents, and use of force, according to a memo to the City Council by Chief Billy Grogan.
The simulator will cost $112,500 and includes equipment, training and an extended warranty. The city is using federal asset forfeiture funds to buy the equipment. The federal money comes from the Department of Justice that it seizes as part of prosecuting federal crimes.
Police officers are taken through various interactive scenarios being displayed on three screens. The police trainer has the ability to change the outcome of the scenario based on the officer’s response to what is happening on the screen, Grogan explained in the memo.
Grogan said the police department also anticipates putting students in the Citizen Police Academy through several scenarios during each class “so they can better understand a police officer’s responsibility and the skills required to have successful outcomes.”
The simulator will be installed on the second floor of the city’s annex building at 4470 Shallowford Road that is currently being renovated.