KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaii Police Department secured a federal grant to purchase its first shooting simulator, which will better prepare rookies and veterans alike for making split-second decisions in the heat of the moment.
The $76,444 is from the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and will be used to purchase the virtual reality training equipment. Administrative Bureau Capt. Aimee Wana hopes to have it purchased and installed by late 2020 or early 2021.
“It’ll be an exciting tool,” she said. “One especially for the recruits but even for recall training for our officers.”
The shooting simulator will provide officers the chance to train for an array of situations, and the opportunity to review and critique what was done right and what was done wrong — without the risk of injury or death.
“It’s kind of like a video game — but not quite — it’s geared toward law enforcement,” said Wana, noting the equipment is somewhat similar to flight simulators used by pilots. “It’s geared toward officer responsiveness and officer ability to make split-second decisions, which is not always easy.”
The County Council’s Finance Committee is set to take up the grant, and approve entering the agreement, Tuesday afternoon in Council Chambers at the West Hawaii Civic Center. The step is necessary in order for the department to procure the equipment.
“Any grant the county can secure especially relating to training and equipment is such a huge benefit for our officers’ ability to train in a safe environment,” said South Kona Councilwoman Maile David, who introduced the bill at the department’s request. “I understand the shooting simulator would provide a wide range of scenarios that far outweighs manual recreation and promotes the safety and well-being of our officers.”
Currently, the department uses its indoor range in Hilo or, on occasion, ranges at Pohakuloa Training Area or Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, for shooting training.
“This equipment is viewed as an opportunity to get our officers better trained,” said Administrative Bureau Assistant Chief Sam Thomas. “It is truly the hope of every officer not to have to resort to the use of their firearms; with that being said, it is incumbent upon our department to ensure if it does indeed come to that, the officers will be more proficient in stopping the threat while maintaining the safety of other uninvolved persons.”
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.