THE Philippine National Police headed by General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. is turning to a state-of-the-art firearm simulator to further improve the marksmanship of its officers and men and ensure that cops will hit the right target when danger comes, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

According to PNP Training Service director Colonel Radel D. Ramos, the police force procured a United States-made Recon Core Firearm Simulator with two Glock 17 training pistols with recoil kit; two units of PT92 Taurus pistols with recoil kit and four units of Glock Dummy Pistol with no recoil kit.

The firearm simulator is specially designed to improve law enforcement officers’ marksmanship training through a virtual reproduction of a shooting range indoors where all types of parameters such as target type, shot distance, light and weather conditions can be set.

By using a firearm simulator, an ordinary cop can enhance his shooting skills without spending money for training ammos. At present, a box of ordinary caliber 9mm ammunition costs around P1,200 or P24 each. A reloaded ammunition being sold in both PNP-run or private shooting ranges cost around P15 each plus the other expenses one has to pay for including the target board.

By using a firearm simulator, the instructor can really define and create marksmanship exercises and even obtain information needed to analyze a policeman’s skills, whether in carrying out tactical missions or individually as their skills are tested in 3-D settings in which they interact with different people-hostile or not-projected on the screen with complete freedom of movement and various ways to reach the targets.

The firearm simulator actually removes the limitations of traditional gun training. It also provides an individual policeman the chance to improve and even master his shooting skills through repeated training.

The firearm simulator also helps an individual cop increase his/her reaction time, improve his/her decision-making and most of all, learn when to use cover once confronted by an armed and dangerous suspect.

According to Col. Ramos, the idea to have a firearm simulator in the force was hatched during the time of now retired Major General Alex D. Sintin, a world-class shooter who also used to head the PNP-TS and later the National Police Training Institute.

Ramos said that when he was still the PNP-TS director, then Brigadier Gen. Sintin and other firearm enthusiasts in the PNP talked about the idea of having a simulator after hitting a target at the Camp Crame shooting range.

“They brainstormed on how they can train together with other PNP personnel in a cost-efficient manner without compromising their marksmanship skills and quality of training,” said the member of PNP Academy ‘Patnubay’ Class of 1995.

By next month, the PNP-TS director said that their Range Safety Officers and Information Technology personnel will undergo a 2-day training on the technical use and proper care and maintenance of the simulator to ensure that every peso paid by the country’s tax-payers won’t go into waste.

“This innovation will further enhance the capability and quality of our personnel as we continue to serve and protect the community,” Col. Ramos said.

However, he added that they are hoping that the gun training equipment will also be acquired by all 17 Police Regional Offices and the different National Operational and Administrative Support Units in their respective headquarters and offices to provide their personnel the same training opportunity.

However, the equipment must be used frequently and must be readily accessible.

Ideally, if budget will permit, the equipment is a must-have for all 17 Police Regional Offices, the 80 Provincial Police Offices and the 20 City Police Offices as well as the different Numbered Police Stations in Metro Manila.

Officials said that each police office ideally must be able to acquire at least one simulator which has been proven to be a highly effective tool for law enforcement abroad.