Local university develops simulator to give real-world experiences to law enforcement students

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new simulator at Keiser University aims to give people entering law enforcement practice before entering the force by putting them in critical incidents.

Officials can see who is too aggressive in certain situations and helps highlight people who may not have the best motives.

The Milo Range Simulator teaches critical incident training, de-escalation tactics and decision support training.

The simulator is open to Keiser University’s criminal justice and law enforcement students. It could be available for local law enforcement agencies in the future if needed.

The system has over 900 scenarios so users can get real-world experiences like crisis intervention.

“I think it helps people get a real idea of a scenario and how you react to the scenario,” JSO Sheriff T.K. Waters said. “We have something very similar to this at the police academy and it helps them shoot don’t shoot. How to verbalize what your commands are.”

News4JAX Crime Analyst Tom Hackney said systems like this can help weed out people who may not be fit for law enforcement.

“Any kind of simulated training that you can get that puts you in a room with a real-life scenario is good,” Hackney said.

Dash camera video shows the deadly confrontation between a Camden County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant and Leonard Cure after a traffic stop.

“Not everything is an immediate use of force and sometimes the way that you handle it from the beginning can dictate how an interaction goes, how a traffic stop goes and that situation maybe didn’t have to wind up like it did,” Hackney said.