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New firearms simulator could change the way Carrboro officers are trained

A new firearms training simulator is in the works for the Carrboro Police Department.

The department has proposed adding a firearms training simulator to the town’s fiscal budget for 2016-17, according to an email by Arche McAdoo, finance director for the town of Carrboro. The training simulator would cost about $90,000, according to Carrboro Police Chief Walter Horton.

If Carrboro approves the plans for the new training simulator, training for Carrboro police will enter a new era in the digital age. The simulator would make it easier to train officers how to respond to specific scenarios they would face while on the job.

“What the machine does is it basically puts the officer in a simulated environment where they have to use decision skills, de-escalation skills and communication skills,” Horton said. 

He said training officers in how to respond to certain situations is important to the safety of the officers, the community and even the suspect. He said this was worth the money the town would spend on the technology.

Horton added that having a training simulator at the police department would allow officers to train during their work hours instead of accruing overtime or extra driving time.

“It will be very convenient for (the officers),” Horton said.

Longtime Carrboro resident William Madden said he was critical of the police department's decision to spend so much money on a computerized training simulator.

“I think it’s an absolute waste of money,” Madden said. 

Madden also said the police department can do scene scenario training without the use of computers.

But Ashley Freuler, a Pittsboro resident who works in Carrboro, said she thought it would be a good idea to train officers through a training simulator.

Freuler said the price was a bit high, but thought the simulator might pay off with increased safety.

“I think it would be nice to have some consistency in their training,” Freuler said. 

Horton said both the UNC Department of Pubic Safety and the Chapel Hill Police Department use a firearms training simulator to train officers in different scenarios. 

Lt. Joshua Mecimore, public information officer for Chapel Hill police, said they have used a firearms training simulator for almost eight or nine years. 

"(The training simulator) increases the amount of training we are able to do, it increases the amount of time our officers can train and it sets clear expectations for our officers,” Mecimore said. 

@brookenf1

city@dailytarheel.com

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