GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. – The Glynn County Police Department is focused on training its officers to build a safer community. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council has awarded a grant to Glynn County for $113,900.
Interim Chief Rick Evans says his department is buying a simulator to allow Glynn County officers and other nearby agencies to participate in scenario-based, hands-on training in use-of-force and de-escalation.
Glynn County officers will soon be training with the Ti Training’s RECON + simulator.
It’s almost a virtual reality setting, including sound effects and encountering a subject who could be threatening the officer and placing them in a life-like situation surrounded by screens.
“It means the officers can get some great training in use-of-force and de-escalation,” said Evans.
Evans told News4Jax that Georgia officers go through mandated training yearly to maintain their certification. With the department receiving this federal grant, it’s expanding training to happen more often to better serve the community.
The award letter reads: “Gov. Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia legislature made it a priority to provide law enforcement officers with the training and resources needed to better serve the people of Georgia. We at CJCC are pleased to be a part of this effort and look forward to working with you. By providing your department with crucial funds to expand training and enhance services throughout the state, we can improve public safety and positively change lives in the process.”
“That’s part of the agency’s responsibility and fault because we did not implement that back in time and now we’re pressing it to move it forward. It’s the work of the officers here,” Evans said. “The community will see it’s not an us versus them.”
Evans is talking about community policing and says that today, the focus is on building a stronger community through engagement. To do that, Evans says it’s getting officers the hands-on training like this.
“I think it’s going to be a strong, effective measure of law enforcement practices,” said Evans.
Evans said the department will be getting the simulator in a few weeks and he hopes to invite the community and reporters to get a first look at how officers are trained.