GRAND RAPIDS, Mich - The Grand Rapids Police Department has always put their officers in real life training scenarios, but just last year, they got that major upgrade with the MILO System.
Sgt. Cathy Williams with GRPD describes it as fun and dynamic because the officers get to move around and use all different tools.
MILO is an interactive video training simulator that comes equipped with hundreds of scenarios. It’s then the officer's job to assess the situation and take the appropriate action.
It’s is a decision-making tool more than anything else.
Sgt. Williams said, “Did you first try to at first if possible? Give your suspect verbal direction? Did you access the appropriate tool? Maybe the firearm wasn’t the best choice. Maybe you should have tried a lower level of control first."
Time isn’t always on an officers side when making those calls.
“You don’t have minutes, or hours or days like everyone else does to view that situation and make that decision, you may have split seconds." Sgt. Williams said.
That’s why the city and GRPD sees MILO as an insurance policy.
“The more we prepare them to make those better choices on the road and to act appropriately, the fewer injuries you're going to have, the fewer lawsuits you're going to have, the fewer officers you're going to have charged with a crime, potentially." Sgt. Williams said.
The MILO upgrade was funded through the GRPD training fund budget and a grant from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association.
Watch FOX 17's Annie Szatkowski give MILO a try.
