ATF, NYPD show off simulator used to train police officers how to respond in use of force incidents

ByJosh Einiger

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Simulator gives look at how law enforcement de-escalate situationsJosh Einiger has the latest on NYPD training.

RODMAN'S NECK, The Bronx (WABC) -- Members of the media got hands-on experience with a simulator used to train law enforcement officers on how to respond to use-of-force scenarios Tuesday in the Bronx.

Eyewitness News Reporter Josh Einiger got the chance to try out the high-tech simulator at the NYPD's shooting range on City Island.

The ATF teamed up with the NYPD to educate the public and the press about when an officer's actions are reasonable based on what he or she knows in the moment.

"You have to be able to navigate all these moving parts, and you have to do it not only accordance with department policy but in accordance with the law," said NYPD Firearms and Tactics Section's Alexander Deletto.

With cameras now everywhere, investigators and the public can pick apart every piece of an police-involved encounter. That's why the simulator comes in very handy.

Sometimes those encounters can last just seconds.

"It doesn't always look good on a screen to see how incidents are handled sometimes," added ATF's Jim Balthazar.

The simulator has also taken on higher importance among the scrutiny surrounding police-involved shootings.

"Officers are given a lot of authority, and so we deserve to be held accountable but we need to be held accountable to the appropriate standard," added Balthazar. "And sometimes I wish the public had a better understand of what those legal standards really are."