Philadelphia Officers Get New 'Reality-based' Training On Deadly Force
By Walt Hunter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police recruits and veteran officers are now getting special new training on deadly force decisions, unlike any ever provided by the department.
The "Reality Based" training engages officers with real-time scenarios in which fellow officers, playing the role of attackers, confront the officers with guns, knives and other weapons.
"They're not shooting at targets," Police Commissioner Richard Ross explained to Eyewitness News. "It's as close to a real-life scenario as you can get."
We were granted exclusive access to the training, actually participating, as officers fired both blanks and bullets tipped with soap that left marks on those who were hit.
The purpose of the training is not solely to protect officers, but to teach them ways to defuse situations, so that deadly force does not come into play.
"They may have to holster their weapons and go to another weapon, we have OC spray, tasers," said Inspector Frank Vanore, who instructs at the Police Training Center.
It is a sad reality that at any moment, any one of these officers might have to decide whether to take a life to protect themselves or someone else. It's hoped "reality based training" means more lives will be saved.
"We don't want to lose any officers and we don't want to lose any civilians unnecessarily," concluded Commissioner Ross.
