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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Bang Bang: Officer Louis Borges demonstrates how the Force Option Simulator works at the open house last Thursday afternoon.
City Beat
San Jose Police show off new tools for training at open house
Public invited to try state-of-the-art simulated pursuits
By Chantal Lamers
San Jose Police officers will soon be driving virtual police cars for some behind-the-wheel training.
The SJPD was selected as one of 22 police departments in California that will serve as a Regional Law Enforcement Training Center.
The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training supports the centers by providing each with equipment and staff to train officers from San Jose and other agencies in the area.
SJPD held an open house on June 15, to show off its new state-of-the art force option and driving simulator equipment.
Mayor Ron Gonzales didn't get behind the wheel of a driving simulator, but he said the training center is part of the city's commitment to make San Jose the safest large city in the United States.
San Jose Police Chief Bill Lansdowne said the simulators allow students to sharpen their judgment skills for routine and emergency response situations. The goal of the training is to reduce deaths, injuries, liability costs and improve safety, he said.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Scenic Drive: Officer Karen Duncan demonstrates how the Law Enforcement Driving Simulator works at the open house last Thursday afternoon.
Driving simulators are complete with a steering wheel, dash board, speedometer, siren, brake and gas pedal. Three screens simulate a windshield and two side windows. The virtual vehicles have dozens of programmable traffic scenarios to assure a realistic road experience for officers in training.
PatrolSim Driving Simulator, built by the i-sim Corporation, allows officers to experience rural, highway and city roads that duplicate actual local streets and intersections in their own town. The simulator can also be programmed to imitate weather conditions such as rain, fog and snow in daylight or at night.
At about 7 feet long, 7 feet wide and 6 feet high, the simulator resembles a race car video-arcade game. The simulators are also used nationwide by police departments, trucking companies, driver training schools and the military.
The program trains officers to approach a busy intersection during a high speed chase. In one case, an officer chased a van driven by a burglary suspect down side streets and through parking lots. In this scenario, the suspect got away from the officer.
The force option simulator trains officers to handle dangerous situations. A life-size screen plays out a scenario and the officer attempts to control the situation. Meanwhile, an operator manipulates what happens on screen. The operator reacts to how well the officer is handling the situation.
In a restaurant scene, a man threatening his girlfriend with a knife ultimately dropped the weapon after he interacted with an officer. Had the officer been unsuccessful, the suspect could have stabbed his girlfriend and fled the scene.
Officers begin training at the center in early July. Over the next year, 1,300 officers from San Jose and other departments in Santa Clara County will train at the center.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
