By Ilhan Raage
Staff Writer
Ilhan.Raage2231@mb.rctc.edu
The RCTC Law Enforcement program uses a video program to train students to respond to sudden and dangerous situations.
The program simulates use of force and has thousands of different situations. Students can use practice guns, tasers and chemical sprays when responding to a simulated situation. Afterwards, they have to explain why they made the choices they did to address the situation.
Some of the situations include interacting with an intoxicated individual or calculating if there is a threat present or not. The program keeps a log of each session so students can review their reactions.
“The equipment has caused improvement in student training and decision-making process because it replicates realistic situations,” said Randy Mohawk, a Certified Defensive Tactics and Certified Firearms Instructor in the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Program at the Heintz Center.
Mohawk sees the value of this technology as a way to ensure students’ training helps them avoid liability in future careers. The simulator helps to ensure that the decisions made are justified and necessary.
One unit of the training system costs anywhere from $24, 000 to $26,000. However, the investment is worth it.
Every second-year skill student is tested on how well they deal under pressure during a difficult situation and on whether they use their verbal skills to interact properly. That means during an average year, 40 students will be tested on their reactions to high-pressure situations, and on some years, that total may rise to 70 or more.