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Bartlesville citizens have gotten a taste of what it's like to be a police officer.

For the audio version of this story, click here.

Approximately 100 public figures in Bartlesville have headed to Tri County Tech's Strategy Center in the past month to try the Bartlesville Police Department's new MILO Range Training System. This de-escalation simulation training plays on instinct and awareness.

Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles said it's one thing for him to tell people how difficult being a police officer is, but it's another thing if they allow people to come and see it for themselves.

Getting the public to see what police officers are up against on a daily basis was the intent of having them go through the new MILO Range Training System. Chief Roles said that he hopes the citizens understand some of the times when law enforcement fails at being perfect. He wanted the public to think about whether or not perfection is obtainable for police officers after going through the MILO system's portrayals of real life situation.

Bartlesville Police Officers on hand during the public events walked participants through each scenario once they were done with a given simulation. Lorront Carney, the Executive Director of the Westside Community Center and a military veteran, said the officers were able to relate the situations to real life threats that they may face from time-to-time. Carney said the officers told him that they don't face shooting situations on a daily basis, so he realized that they have to stay sharp enough to make decisions when they're actually put in life-threatening predicaments. He said he realized that at any given moment, police officers will have a short period of time to get it right if lives are at stake.

Carney would tell those who question the abilities of police officers to go through the MILO Range Training System because it puts you in the officer's shoes. He said there is so many of us that can be critical of an officer for an action he or she has taken, but none of us have a right to criticize them until we've been in their position.

Carney said the experience was eye-opening and that he was glad that it was only a simulation. He said each life-like situation provided a ton of information in a short amount of time and that he had to make split decisions quickly.

Aside from going through the MILO Range Training System, Carney said the public needs to get to know their local police department. Carney added that the same goes for the police department getting to know the public. He said if the two get to know each other, life is easier because both sides know who they're dealing with.

Carney said these friendly interactions between the public and police can happen before the officers have to show up to do their job. If and when a situation does arise after the conversations have happened, Carney said everyone will be at ease because of an already established trust. He said the public can be reassured that the officer is going to listen before he or she makes an assumption about a given situation because they know who they're dealing with.

It all starts at the top. To Carney, it's time to get out of our offices, to get into the neighborhoods and to attend community forums. Carney said police departments are famous for holding community forums, but people don't attend them. If you do not attend forums, Carney said the officers will not know who they're dealing with, nor will they know the mindset of the community. He said there is so much interaction that we could have with one another that could change the mindset of the whole nation.

Carney said we take 18-year-olds and put them in the military and train them to be killers. When those soldiers come out of the military, Carney said we have a responsibility to debrief them. He said you could put a cop in a similar position because he is trained to protect.

If an officer is up against a violent situation, Carney said that individual is going to have to make a decision rather quickly. Carney said a situation can be defused before extreme actions need to be taken, but in order for it to be defused, people have to understand the mindset of the officer when he's put into a difficult situation created by either you or someone on site. He said the MILO training is a tool the Bartlesville Police Department has to help show the average every day citizen what it is that they go through.

Carney gave props to Chief Roles for his continued willingness to improve the relationship between the public and the Bartlesville Police Department. He said Chief Roles is open and candid; Chief Roles is ready to answer the tough questions, but he can't answer those questions if they don't come his way.

Newly appointed Municipal Judge, and former Bartlesville Vice Mayor, Alan Gentges went through the MILO training as well. Gentges said it reinforced his beliefs that the best way to support local law enforcement is to ensure that they're getting the proper training they need. He said the MILO training was an incredible experience and that he learned a lot about law enforcement in the 15 to 20 minutes he was involved in the process.

Since sitting as a member on the Bartlesville City Council, Gentges said he has come to realize the pressures that officers face in their line of work. Gentges said officers are hard working men and women that do their best to do their job to protect us. He said the prejudice that some people have against police is misplaced. He said the beliefs of those that think police officers can do no wrong can be misplaced as well.

The MILO training is meant to help people see what officers might be up against. Gentges said he hopes that officers won't be up against some of the tough situations the MILO training portrays where they have to exert a deadly force, but it's a very real part of the job that they have to be trained for at all times. He said he believes the Bartlesville Police Department would know best if there needs to be reforms, but he doesn't see the same issues in Bartlesville that we've seen in communities across the nation.

Gentges reiterated that the MILO training solidified his belief that the more training and scenarios that the police officers go through, the better. He said the MILO training is an excellent tool that will help officers react in a timely and proper manner that will help them in the field.

Bartleville City Manager Mike Bailey said he was grateful to be apart of the MILO experience with the rest of the public over the course of the last month. Bailey said he couldn't think of a better teaching tool for the public and the Bartlesville Police Department than the MILO Range Training System. He said he is grateful for the partnership the City of Bartlesville has with Tri County Tech to purchase this training and make it available to local law enforcement.

Bailey said the MILO training can change the conversation surrounding law enforcement because it gives people a better understanding of what police officers might have to do at any given moment. Oftentimes people view law enforcement without understanding the situations police officers might find themselves facing. He said seeing how quickly the situations can escalate in real time can really change your perspective.

The MILO training is a game changer for the public. Bailey said he certainly doesn't want to excuse the poor actions taken by a few officers across the nation over the last several years, but the MILO training could enlighten the public. He said the training could show the public that some of the situations that officers have faced were unavoidable and that the officers did the right thing even though it might not have looked like it at the time.

Bailey said the City of Bartlesville always wants to give its officers the tools that they need to protect themselves. He said that could mean providing the equipment they carry or the vehicles they drive, but the most valuable item is the training.

Chief Roles has been dedicated to proper training since he arrived over two years ago. Bailey said Chief Roles wanted to train Bartlesville's officers well when he arrived. He said Chief Roles wanted to do such a great job with the training aspect in order to protect our officers in the field while making Bartlesville a regional site for law enforcement training.

Bailey said he believes the largest majority of officers across the nation are great people that are truly there to serve the public. If you have questions or concerns, Bailey would encourage you to get out and have meaningful and open conversations with your local law enforcement. He said those conversations are critical in an ever changing world.

Bailey thanked everyone in the public that got out and went through the MILO training to see some of the scenarios Bartlesville's officers are faced with. He would encourage those that haven't gone through it to reach out to Chief Roles to see if another opportunity would be available to them to try out the MILO Range Training System for themselves. He said they'd love for everyone in Bartlesville to go through the MILO training if they have the time to do it.

Members of the media even had an opportunity to try out the MILO system in early-February. You can read that story here.