The Los Angeles Police Department unveiled the newly completed, state-of-the-art training platform called “HYDR” today.

The LAPD HYDRA training suite is one of only fifty like it worldwide and the first HYDRA in the United States. It is located at the Ahmanson Recruit Training Center in Westchester.

The HYDRA suite can simulate every imaginable emergency or calamity. The HYDRA scenarios that are currently available include complex crime-scene investigations, terrorist attacks, public disorder and natural disasters.

The simulations provide law enforcement leadership teams the ability to develop their problem-solving skills in a very realistic environment.

“Hydra allows us to pre-think scenarios and make the best decisions possible to mitigate the harm and risk to our region and community,” Deputy Chief Michael Downing, commanding officer of LAPD’s Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau explained.

“It also provides the opportunity to strengthen and build upon our network of partners improving communication, decision making, and resiliency.”

HYDRA was created by Dr. Jonathan Crego, a past professor of psychology at the University of Liverpool. The first HYDRA was built in 1996 and since that time, Dr. Crego has assisted with the construction of 50 Hydra suites worldwide.

“While this is the first HYDRA in the United States, it is certainly not the last,” Dr. Crego said. “When local agencies partner to develop a HYDRA training center, every partner agency in the region can benefit at a fraction of the cost.”

Funding for the HYDRA project was arranged by the Los Angeles Police Foundation with major backing from Target Corporation and the Annenberg Foundation.