VirTra has worked alongside the National Center on Animal Abuse (NLECAA) and its parent organization, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) to develop training focused on deescalating dog encounters. The training is titled as Law Enforcement Dog Encounters Training (LEDET). The goal of its inception is to help law enforcement officers learn safe interactions with domestic dogs.

The LEDET program is the first of its kind. It allows trainees to use VirTra’s high-definition simulator for hands-on learning and application. The LEDET scenario package consists of six interactive scenarios. It was officially launched at the National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Education and Technology Expo in June 2018. The subject matter expert involved was industry expert Jim Crosby, NLECAA Director of Canine Encounters Training. Crosby has trained officers around the U.S. and even in parts of Canada, Italy, and Australia.

LEDET is based on canine behavior science paired with advanced officer safety measures. The scenarios place officers in situations where they come into contact with domestic dogs. It may be a call about a pet being out of control at a public park or a dog blocking access to an unconscious person. The course focuses on the use of less-lethal and non-lethal methods of keeping officers, the public, and pets safe during contact. Officers are taught to recognize the characteristics of various dog behaviors through classroom learning and scenarios.

In November, the LEDET Toolkit authored Jim Crosby, has been grant funded and approved by the Department of Justice. Crosby has partnered with VirTra in the creation of the content and scenarios, providing expertise.

“Many conflicts can be defused or even avoided by understanding dog behavior,” said Crosby. “Keeping officers and pets safe is the focus of this course. Large liability awards have resulted from officers needlessly using lethal force. We aim to keep the officers safe while reducing those deadly conflicts.”

The scenarios are available on version of the VirTra judgmental use-of-force firearms training simulators. It includes all six scenarios and virtual trainer walkthroughs of each. Additionally, Crosby hosts an 8-hour class using VirTra’s V-100 simulator for practical application.

For more information on VirTra’s LEDET scenarios, visit: info.virtra.com/lp/ledet