MORGAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — West Liberty police officers are using a training simulator to prepare for high-stress situations and to be ready for anything.
The simulator exposes officers to scenarios they may not encounter often but must be ready to handle.
"You never know what you're going into. It could sound like something simple and you get there and it's high stress," patrol officer Chandler Adams said.
The simulator includes hundreds of scenarios, ranging from active shootings and domestic violence calls, to interactions with people who have special needs or are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Adams said the training helps officers build the skills needed for those critical moments.
"It gives us an opportunity to get into those high stress situations that you don't see often. So, this training gives us those opportunity to practice in those scenarios," Adams said.
Officers said the simulator isn't just for law enforcement. The department invited community leaders, churches, and media to experience it firsthand, offering a unique perspective on what officers face when responding to a hostile scene.
"I think it's important to get the public involved," Adams said.
David Ison, a deacon at Bethany Baptist Church, brought church members to try the simulator. He said it gave them a better understanding of the split-second decisions officers must make.
"The simulator did a really good job of putting you in as if you were in that situation yourself," Ison said.
Ison said the experience raised awareness of the challenges law enforcement faces every day.
"Everybody has an opportunity to see that this is the world we're in today, just being aware of your surroundings and understanding of what they face every day," Ison said.
The simulator is owned by the Kentucky League of Cities, which rotates it to different communities across the commonwealth. West Liberty will soon return the training tool, but officers said their commitment to strengthening trust between law enforcement and the community remains unchanged.
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