SAHUARITA, Ariz. -- A system at Walden Grove High school is putting students in the shoes of law enforcement -- all while keeping them perfectly safe.
Walden Grove High School is one of two schools in the nation that has the MILO Firearms Training System.
Doug Hansen is a former FBI and now the Law and Public Safety Program’s teacher at Walden Grove High.
He says pulling out the firearm should be the last thing students are thinking about.
“They should be thinking about utilizing their brain and their mouth to be able to get situations to the point where everyone is going home safely, even the bad guys,” he said.
He adds the MILO system is perfect for students who want to get into law enforcement.
“Milo range is a(n) interactive system that students can utilize to give them the safest advantage to use great judgment,” Hansen told KGUN9.
He says this system exposes students to high-stress situations, like tense traffic stops and domestic violence calls.
“We have over 750 different scenarios on here and as long as they are de-escalating the situation, we can keep them from going to a shoot situation,” he said.
This system is also used by law enforcement for training purposes.
So aside from these simulated scenarios that help students with their judgment and communication skills, they also have target practice.
That’s where their simulated weapons come in.
The feel just like glock-17s, and they’re used to help students with their line of sight.
Jason Turnbull, a sophomore at Walden Grove High, says this system is getting him one step closer to joining the local swat team.
“It’s showing me that it’s not something I can dream about and hope for the best. Through this course I can see that it’s an actual career I can put myself out there to,” said Turnbull.
Michea Carlisle is a sophomore at Walden Grove High School.
She tells KGUN9 she wants to be a judge and says this class has taught her valuable skills that she can use on her journey toward achieving that goal.
“It’s helped me think outside the box and get out of my comfort zone. It’s also given me a skill to know how to hold a gun and when to use it the right way,” said Carlisle.
Meanwhile, Hansen says he could not be more proud of his students.
“These students are wonderful, they’re hard thinkers. You know, the whole goal is to help these students that go into the law and public safety realm to be better police officers when they’re out there,” he added.
Former students who have taken this class are in the military, various police departments, and even the FBI.
The Sahuarita Police Department also donated two patrol cars for students to practice high-risk traffic stops.
