ALTHOUGH POLICE RECEIVE TRAINING IN PRACTICE WITH FIREARMS, THEIR HANDLING OF SITUATIONS WITH SUSPECTS IS RELEGATED TO CLASSROOM DISCUSSION. THUS FIREARMS TRAINING LACKS THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS AND STRESS OF ENCOUNTERS ON THE STREET. WHEN THE SEATTLE POLICE FORCE UNDERWENT A POLICY CHANGE RESTRICTING OFFICERS' RIGHT TO SHOOT, THE NEED FOR DECISIONMAKING TRAINING BECAME MORE IMPORTANT, AND A MULTIMEDIA FIRM WAS HIRED TO DEVELOP THE SME. FOR THE SME, CRIMES ARE ACTED OUT AND FILMED WITH SLIDE CAMERAS; SLIDES APPEARING AT DECISIONMAKING STAGES ARE IDENTIFIED; REALISTIC SOUND IS ADDED TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT. THE PRESENT SME CONSISTS OF A ROOM CONTAINING THREE SIX-FOOT SCREENS FOR SHOWING THE SCENES, A SOUND SYSTEM, AND CONTROLLING COMPUTER. AN OFFICER TO BE TRAINED IN IT IS GIVEN BLANK CARTRIDGES, STANDS FACING THE CENTER OF THE SCREENS, AND IS SUBJECTED BRIEFLY TO COMPLETE DARKNESS BEFORE AND AFTER VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION ARE GIVEN TO BUILD STRESS. AS THE CRIME UNFOLDS ON THE SCREENS, MANIPULATION OF THE SLIDES CAN CHANGE THE SCENE AS THE OFFICER REACTS. ANTICIPATION BY SUBSEQUENT USERS IS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE THE SCENE CAN BE CHANGED BY INSTRUCTORS. MORE COMPLEX SME SIMULATORS ARE BEING DEVISED. (PAP)