Crime & Safety
Funds Sought for Devonshire Police Training Center
The planned new facility will help local officers sharpen their skills.
The LAPD Devonshire Community Police Station, which services Chatsworth and the surrounding neighborhoods, has a new facility that it hopes to turn into a training center, thanks to the efforts of two local organizations.
A 24-foot by 60-foot trailer was donated by the North Valley Family YMCA at Porter Ranch, and independent fundraising group Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire (SOLID) used $9,000 to transport it from Riverside. SOLID is now looking to raise $30,000 to convert the trailer into what police call a “Force Option Simulator” or "Shoot Don't Shoot" center for officers to sharpen their skills.
The volunteer group has launched a membership campaign, and is asking private citizens and the business community to become booster members.
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Rich Farra, SOLID's secretary, said that it is offering a number of incentives.
“$250 will get you a plaque on the wall and four tickets for our fundraising events,” said Farra.
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The trailer, once converted, will provide a permanent home for a police-training situation simulator, which will stage more than 100 realistic “shoot-don’t-shoot” training scenarios.
Officers are presented with situations they might encounter in real-life, including domestic abuse calls, hostages, and traffic stops. They have to respond to each one and then explain their actions.
Training coordinator Sgt. Jim Antenucci said officers’ reactions are videoed to help them improve their skills. Antenucci also said that, through training, he gets to know his officers' strengths and weaknesses.
LAPD Capt. Sean Kane said police academy training covers similar situations, but that policies change, and skills can deterioriate over time.
“You can give an officer a piece of paper as policies change, but training them in the new policy is what we want to do here,” Kane said.
Some of the donated money will go to buy realistic props for the training center, such as a salvaged partial police car and a post office box.
SOLID will be holding an “all-you-can-eat” pancake breakfast fundraiser between 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the Devonshire Community Police Station.
For more information about becoming a booster member of S.O.L.I.D, click here.
