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

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – A new simulator at Keiser University aims to give aspiring law enforcement officers hands-on experience before they join the force by placing them in critical incidents.

Officials can see who is being too aggressive in certain situations and can thus draw attention to people who may not have the best motives.

The Milo Range Simulator teaches you how to handle critical incidents, apply de-escalation tactics and support decisions.

The simulator is open to criminal justice and law enforcement students at Keiser University. In the future, it may also be available to local law enforcement agencies, if needed.

The system has over 900 scenarios, allowing users to gain practical experience, for example in crisis intervention.

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

According to Tom Hackney, crime analyst at News4JAX, systems like this can help filter out people who may not be suitable for law enforcement.

“Any form of simulated training you can get where you get into a room with a realistic scenario is good,” Hackney said.

Dashcam footage shows the deadly confrontation between a Camden County Sheriff’s Office sergeant and Leonard Cure following a traffic stop.

“Not everything is about using force immediately and sometimes how you handle it from the beginning can determine how an interaction goes, how a traffic stop goes and that situation may not have had to end the way it did,” Hackney said.