MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $190,209 to provide the county sheriff’s department with a simulator to train deputies in de-escalation techniques and appropriate use of force.
The purchase, to be made using a portion of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, came during a meeting with Sheriff Steve Sheldon, Maj. Joe Masi and Capt. Jim Sweat.
It came after a presentation from Steven DiIullo, a former law enforcement officer and the regional sales manager for VirTra Inc., the company that will provide its V-300 firearms training simulator.
According to the company website, the V-300 “was the world’s first 300-degree law enforcement reality-based situational training simulator that continues to advance and remains the highest standard of LE training.
“This intense, immersive training environment takes into account every detail from the smallest pre-attack indicators to the most cognitive overload stimuli situations imaginable,” the website said. “This judgmental use of force and decision-making training simulator is designed to teach, test, and sustain trainees’ and seasoned officers’ knowledge and skills.”
The Mansfield Police Department began using similar technology several months ago through the Multiple Interactive Learning Objectives (MILO) system.
Both systems provide virtual training for situations officers and deputies face on the streets, though DiIullo said ViaTra offers the ability to train more officers at one time and provides more accurate feedback.
He said it also allows officers to use their own service weapons — including handguns, tasers and rifles.
Sweat said what makes VirTra more attractive for the RCSO is it also offers training for correctional officers and allows the RCSO to generate its own scenarios.
“We have more corrections officers than we do deputies on the street,” Sweat said.
He said VirTra has content that has already been approved by for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy that meet requirements for continued professional training, including mental health scenarios.
The three-panel simulator will also allow the RCSO to spend less on live ammunition for training and may also result in lower costs for its liability insurance.
DiIullo also praised VirTra’s warranty and service programs, including overnight shipping of needed parts and also annual service sessions.
“We don’t want you down. We know that you only have (training scheduled) for this amount of time. We’re all a bunch of former trainers. We have got to keep you up and running,” DiIullo said.
Sweat said the RCSO having its own simulator would guarantee ability to train its own deputies.
“Yes, we have other agencies here that have different systems within the county and we have utilized those in the past.
“But for us, it’s the availability if we have our own system. (We would be) able to send people all the time whenever we want, based on scheduling (and) not having to try to cram 20 people in,” the captain said.
“We want the ability to be able to do this multiple times, almost monthly, for at least our law enforcement folks. And I think there’s something to be said for having that availability to do it that way,” Sweat said.
Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved acceptance of $30,000 in donations that will allow the RCSO to restart its K-9 program with two dogs through Tri-State Canine Services, LLC, in Warren, Ohio.
The department has not had a K-9 officer since Molly retired in 2020.
Sweat said one dog is a Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix and the other is a purebred German Shepherd. Both dogs will handle drug detection and patrol duties.
Sheldon worked as a K-9 handler about 40 years ago when he was a deputy in the RCSO. He said COVID-19 and a lack of manpower led to a temporary hiatus in the K-9 program.
“We are almost fully staffed again and we thought that this would be a good time to restart the canine unit,” Sheldon said. “A lot of work’s going into it. Donations (make it) basically fully funded. So we’re all happy to start it back up.”
