North Fulton Today

The Milton Police Department will use a $119,323 grant from Georgia's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for use of force or de-escalation training for its officers.

MPD officers will have to attend the training with virtual mock scenarios to enhance their de-escalation and defensive tactics knowledge, skillset, and philosophy.

"The MPD is always looking for innovative means by which to train our officers for best practices. We saw this as an opportunity to train de-escalation on a deeper level," Police Chief Rich Austin said, a release from the city reported.

Milton is one of more than 60 agencies in the state to receive the first-ever grants from the state's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The funding is available through June 30 of next year.

Through the funding, a more hands-on approach will be possible by funding police-specific virtual reality equipment and/or a computerized firearms simulator, the city's website said. Through these systems, the officers can receive immediate feedback to bolster their skills and performance.

Through the advanced defensive tactics training, officers will further learn techniques for how to restrain a person when the need arises — strategies and minimal force that are less likely to cause injury to the person being restrained or the responding officer, the release said.