Utah lawmakers have already approved a new program to create a statewide training center for policemen. The center will train officers on defusing potential confrontations amid the nationwide issue on police use of force.
According to KUTV, Leo Lucey of the Utah Attorney General's Office said the training will include a virtual-reality simulator for the officers to practice dealing with high-pressure situations. The simulator will also train prosecutors on how to investigate the officers involved. He added that it is very critical and important to provide a holistic training approach.
On February 27, Salt Lake City had become the center of a national conversation when an officer shot and wounded a 17-year old Somalia refugee who refused to let go of a metal stick. The incident has started a protest over the officer's use of force as per ABC News.
Representative Paul Ray said the training is expensive. It will reportedly cost $375,000 but he reiterated that is the best money that they are going to spend all year when public safety talks come along the way as reported by Salt Lake Tribune.
The executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, Chuck Wexler, who also led the research and development of the principles, claimed it is important to get interactive crisis training to a lot of officers. This will include officers beyond specialized units to help decrease dangerous encounters. He added that police departments in Utah and other states as well are responding positively to the plan, recognizing it as a good thing.
The new training center in Utah will be managed by the attorney general's office in Murray. Lawmakers on the other hand also approved a plan to equip police officers' bodys with cameras. The footage that will be gathered will be publicized and officers are required to activate the camera before or during an operation, serving of search warrant or a simple traffic stop. All of these plans still await the governor's final approval.
