BILLINGS — All week long, the Billings Police Department will be going through different training scenarios in a parking lot at MetraPark.
From vehicle pursuits to maneuvering through tight spaces, Billings Police Sgt. Nate West said the training happens every two years.
“We’re out here to make our guys better,” West said on Tuesday.
The training started yesterday and will run until Sunday. Everyone on the police force will be doing the training.
“Well if you think about it, police officers drive the majority of their shift, the majority of their career," West said. "It's stuff that we need to keep them proficient at.”
The officers are put through multiple scenarios, such as a vehicle chase with tight turns.
“We give them scenarios expecting them to make the decision if it’s a chase or no chase situation,” West said.
There's also a slower and smaller course of cones the officers must drive through.
“The amount of time officers spend in cars, a lot of accidents happen like backing into an object or when they’re just driving normal,” West said. “We give them the opportunity to come out here and drive through a slow course. Run over cones out here if they need to and not on the streets.”
