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LA County Sheriff's Deputies To Train On 300-Degree Use-Of-Force Simulator

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will soon begin training on what officials say is the world's most realistic use-of-force training simulator.

KNX 1070's Ron Kilgore reports Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers announced the launch Friday of an advanced 300-degree police training simulator, which immerses single or multiple deputies in over 100 scenarios that they can face in the field.

Authorities say the VirTra V-300 technology will help enhance the Department's training capabilities and effectiveness in patrol by utilizing various scenarios, including a person with a gun, active shooter, police ambush, domestic violence, hostage incident, and less lethal scenarios.

Deputies training on the simulator will use an audio system that provides over 2,000 watts of audio, and simulated explosions — including simulated enemy return fire with an electric impulse or vibration — as part of the training experience, according to Rogers.

"The training staff can apply a safe electric shock in order for the deputy to address a threat or redirect their attention to a new threat," Rogers said. "As you might guess, it also increases the stress level."

Rogers said the emphasis of the training will be on using stopping suspects with less-lethal force when possible.

"In the last six years we've averaged over 40 shootings; we've had 26 this year," he said. "Obviously, don't want to have as many shootings. If we can reduce the number that would be great. and we certainly, if we do make the decision to shoot, we want to make sure we shoot the right people."

KCAL9's Dave Lopez tried out the simulator during Friday's unveiling.

Authorities say a unique feature of the system is that training personnel can simulate scenarios that are specific to real life situations that patrol personnel may not necessarily face on a daily basis in the field.

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