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New Simulation Is Created to Train Ohio Police Officers

photo of Mike DeWine
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU

The high-profile shootings of unarmed black men and children has shined a light on the need for better police training. As Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports, that’s why Ohio’s attorney general is rolling out a new simulation that can hone an officer’s decision-making skills.

Officers fire fake training guns during a new course created to help law enforcement practice for tense situations. Soon the state will make a whole kit of training equipment available for law enforcement agencies to check out, like a library book.

Attorney General Mike DeWine says more training was needed to protect officers and communities after several fatal shootings of unarmed black men and youth.

"Training that is as close as we can get to the real world -- that’s what we’re trying to do with this program.”

The training program launches next year. First an instruction officer will take a course with the state, then that officer can check out the equipment and teach that course at their local department.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.