Most
police officers will never have to fire their pistol in the
line of duty. But being prepared in the event they have to is
vital. A mere second can mean the difference between life and
death for police or those they are sworn to protect. And while
Middleton police officers are required to pass yearly range
qualifications, more can be done to better ready officers.
That was the reasoning behind an exercise at the
station earlier this week. An 18-wheeler truck container
pulled up at the Middleton Police Station. Inside was an
indoor firing range created by Blue Line Corp. President Paul
Polonsky, of Beverly.
On Monday and Tuesday, Middleton Police officers took turns
testing their reaction skills courtesy of a firearms judgment
simulator. The simulator consists of 20 scenarios in which
officers have to assess the dangers of situation and react
accordingly."They have no idea what they are going to be,"
Middleton Police Capt. James DiGianvittorio said.
DiGianvittorio led the training sessions giving advice to his
officers as they completed each scenario. Afterwards,
DiGianvittorio critiqued the overall performance of each
officer. Use of the trailer was made possible by a combination
of a community policing grant and funds straight from the
Police Department's budget.
The scenarios are two or three-minute movies with the
camera acting as the police officer in the range. In many of
the movies, a suspect brandishes a firearm, prompting the
officers to shoot real bullets into the movie screen. In other
scenarios, the officers show restraint as suspects either
don't reveal a weapon or decide to surrender peacefully. In
addition to deciding whether to draw, officers are required to
use verbal commands as if they were actually responding to a
call.
What makes the simulator such a value to the department,
according to DiGianvittorio, is that the officers must make
decisions instinctively based on their training. The officers
use their own .40-mm Glock semi-automatics and wear
bulletproof vests. The captain also requires the officers to
wear their uniforms.
"This is more realistic due to the fact that they are using
their own equipment," DiGianvittorio said.
This is the second year that Middleton officers have gone
through the training.
James Kelley, a 33-year reserve officer said he enjoyed
training in the simulator.
"The hardest part is you're supposed to verbalize every
scenario, talking to a movie that's not talking back," he
said.
In addition to the shooting simulator, the range allows
officers to attain their yearly qualifications. The trailer is
designed to hold three 10-meter ranges complete with movable
paper targets and swinging partitions.
The mobile range was last seen in the Tri-Town area in
October when it was at the Topsfield Police Department.
Officers were required to shoot at a paper target and then try
to place another shot through the same hole.
