Police academy students go through shooting scenarios with simulator

At the final class of the Cape Girardeau Citizens Police Academy, the 10 participants experienced what it feels like to be shot at.

The eight-week course, which began March 4, was designed to educate the public on what police officers do on a daily basis.

Cpl. Ike Hammonds, a police officer and instructor in the academy, said Thursday he tried to keep the class as interactive as possible each week.

Linda Dedert, left, and Marilyn Harrison look at a Model 22 Glock 40-caliber handgun during the final week of the police academy class in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Thursday, April 15, 2010. (Kristin Eberts)

"I think you retain a lot of information if you get up and do something as opposed to sitting," he said.

Using a firearm training simulator, each student was presented with a scenario -- such as a father-daughter domestic violence incident -- and had to decide in seconds whether to shoot the perpetrator. In some scenarios, the perpetrator didn't draw a weapon; in others, the perpetrator did.

The students were asked to take the simulation seriously and not treat it as a video game.

The simulator is used often by new officers for training and by experienced officers to keep their skills fresh, Hammonds said.

"Not every one is a shooting situation," said Dr. Mike Brown, director of the Southeast Missouri State University law enforcement academy. "I don't want officers thinking they'll fire their gun every day."

Linda Dedert, a librarian at Kent Library, said she had been wanting to participate for years but hadn't found the right time.

"I've always been real into crime and the psychology of criminals," she said. "It was a really good time."

Neil Reitenbach, a criminal justice student in Illinois, said it's been important for him to learn how a police department functions outside of a classroom. He enjoyed most the class where the students each imitated how officers conduct a traffic stop.

"You're more aware of what police are actually doing," Reitenbach said.

Hammonds said most students appreciated performing traffic stops because they were able to understand the uncertainty that comes with pulling a car over.

"It kind of sent a message to them what officers are up against when they are approaching a car, especially at night, not knowing exactly what you have up there in that car. They felt that tension," he said.

During other weeks, students in the police academy learned about the duties of a 911 communications operator, the court system and what to do when receiving a traffic summons.

After completing the course, Cape Girardeau resident Suzanne VanderFeen said she has a new outlook on the duties of a police officer. She signed up for the course to better understand what her father went through as an officer in St. Louis.

"These guys are putting their life on the line every day. It's just real ... I've been in a bubble," she said. "I didn't realize we had the issues here in Cape that we do."

The 10 students who completed the police academy will be presented with a graduation certificate at the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting Monday.

"I do educate others about this and will encourage them to take the course," Dedert said.

ehevern@semissourian.com

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