Perryville police officers got the chance to participate in a special training program last week that placed them in a variety of tactical simulations in an effort to help them learn to react quickly, respond appropriately and stay safe on the job.
The computer-based Multiple Interactive Learning Objectives simulator — or MILO — allows departments and law enforcement training academies to accomplish several training tasks in the same location at once, including classroom-based lessons, instructional presentations, interactive-individual and group testing and scoring, along with physical hands-on firearms and use of force training exercises and scenarios.
During a session last week, Perryville Police Cpl. J.P. Shincliffe called the training system a valuable tool, especially when it comes to effectively communicating during an incident.
“That’s the idea,” Shincliffe said. “Not every scenario is going to be ‘shoot everybody up.’ It’s mostly designed to just get the officer thinking outside the box, to articulate their words into a situation that they might not have encountered before in order to de-escalate the situation and show an appropriate response when somebody else is escalating the situation.”
During Thursday evening’s session, the scenarios presented included a possible break-in at a warehouse and another involving a person in emotional crisis.
During the former, Shincliffe was forced to react when the suspect pulled a firearm on them. In the second, they were able to de-escalate the situation without resorting to violence. In both cases, the officers were forced to make decisions and react quickly and appropriately to a rapidly changing scenario.
The department got the chance to make use of the interactive system thanks to a local insurance firm.
“Lakenan Insurance, in conjunction with our partners at Midwest Public Risk, are excited to provide a unique training opportunity for both the Perryville Police and Perry County Sheriff’s departments,” said Jake Yount, a risk advisor with Lakenan in Perryville. “The advanced training system, known as MILO, has been utilized for nearly two decades to provide tactical training to both law enforcement and military agencies.”
The simulator, which utilizes large projector screens and light-emitting weapons — along with adaptations for less-lethal responses — allows officers to hone their skills and decision-making when dealing with realistic situations that can be challenging and stressful.