Police Officers In Alaska Begin Training in Virtual Reality

Kodiak (Alaska) Police Department utilizes Apex Officer's virtual reality training system to train officers for de-escalation, use of force and crisis intervention scenarios.

Apex Officer, the leading provider of VR training simulators for law enforcement, military, and first responders has announced that Kodiak (Alaska) Police Department has installed the Apex Officer virtual reality training simulator.

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Case Study: Kodiak Police Department succeeds with Apex Officer training simulator.

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The Kodiak Police Department (KPD) is the principal law enforcement agency and provides twenty-four patrol, criminal investigation support, animal control and parking enforcement services. Kodiak’s diverse economy is based on commercial fishing and seafood processing, construction and development, international trade, timber and tourism. Kodiak’s ports are home to over 770 commercial fishing vessels, making it the largest commercial fishing port in Alaska. The Kodiak Police Department also operates the Kodiak Jail, the newest and busiest non-state jail in the entire State of Alaska.

With the national focus on de-escalation and improving police training, the Kodiak Police Department saw an opportunity to better prepare its officers with training equipment designed to improve decision making in high-pressure situations. After significant research on the various options, the Kodiak Police Department chose to include the Apex Officer judgmental use of force simulator as a major component of its training program. Kodiak Police Department is leading the way in progressive police training policies in the state of Alaska.

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During a recent two-day event put on by the Kodiak city council for community members, Kodiak city council member, Bob Stanford (below) had the opportunity to test and evaluate Kodiak Police Department's new Apex Officer virtual reality training simulator.

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"Apex Officer is a game-changer for police training technology and is transforming the face of law enforcement," said Chase Dittmer, President of Apex Officer. "Outdated technology is preventing law enforcement agencies across the country from training effectively. The Apex Officer training platform was designed in the field with law enforcement, for law enforcement to save time, money and, most importantly, save the lives of law enforcement officers and the civilians they have sworn to protect. We want to help protect the people that protect us."

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The Apex Officer training system is capable of simulating an infinite number of different training scenarios that can convey body language and other non-verbal threat cues that are a crucial part of progressive judgmental use of force training. The Apex Officer training simulator utilizes virtual reality technology and offers an immersive 360-degree view and includes peripheral vision and training tools that closely match those used in the field to enhance the transferability of the training to real-life scenarios.

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The Apex Officer content library is based on real-life incidents and is professionally produced with content that is carefully vetted by subject matter experts to rigorously test critical thinking skills, firearms skills under pressure, and psychological responses to the stresses of life-like situations.

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“Our main focus has always been safety. We want everyone to come home to their families safely. I grew up in a law enforcement family and as a child, I was always scared that they weren’t going to make it home,” said Chase Dittmer. “If you take out your firearm and you pull that trigger, you can’t take that bullet back. This isn't a video game. There isn’t a restart button in real life. However, if you pull out your firearm and you’re able to talk the suspect down and de-escalate the situation, you can always put your firearm away. We want the suspects, the victims, and our law enforcement officers to make it home safely. Apex Officer training system provides that preparation.”

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About Apex Officer

Apex Officer is the leading provider of training simulators for the law enforcement, Defense, first responders, and educational markets. Apex Officer's proprietary technologies, software, and scenarios provide intense virtual reality training for de-escalation, judgmental use-of-force, marksmanship, crisis intervention, and related training that mimics real-world situations. Apex Officer’s mission is to use 21st-century technology to solve long-standing problems in policing and public safety.