Rich Austin, police chief of the Milton Police Department, says the job of being a police officer can be stressful and dangerous, and the department wants Milton officers to be mentally well and mentally prepared to do their jobs.
On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Austin told show host Rose Scott that his department recently received grant funding from Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council that will be used to train police officers on how to de-escalate situations.
“We will be able to, perhaps, through a virtual reality time system, put officers in situations where they have to make split-second decisions. Very realistic stress-induced situations to allow them to practice these de-escalation techniques that they’ve been learning and have instantaneous feedback from trained instructors that will help them hone these skills in a controlled environment,” Austin said.
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