Cutting Edge VR Simulations Aim to Better Prepare Officers

Lodi Police Department Unlocked Unlimited Training Scenarios in Virtual Reality With Help From Apex Officer and HTC VIVE

When it comes to the many hazards of law enforcement, unpredictability is perhaps the greatest danger. It’s difficult to anticipate when a call will come in, what awaits behind each closed door, or how individuals will react in a given situation when tensions run high. With so many possible outcomes in any situation, proper training is essential—and while experience is the best teacher, even the smallest mistake can prove to be costly. That’s why police officers need a training environment that allows them to learn from every single action they take—especially incorrect ones. The more immersive and spontaneous the experience, the better it will equip them for whatever their next patrol may have in store. It’s also the reason true-to-life simulations in virtual reality are making a positive and impactful difference in real-world policing tactics.

Lodi Police Department: Looking Forward Towards the Future

Like many other precincts, the Lodi Police Department in California used a traditional video-based system to train new and current officers. In these sessions, clips of actors reading scripts of pre-written scenarios are displayed on a traditional flat screen. Participants then respond to the situation portrayed in each scenario and are shown a response clip by the trainer based on their reaction to continue the segment. While this method gave trainees a better idea of the more likely occurrences that can happen when on out on patrol, the system is not without its flaws. For example, one major concern was the lack of depth needed to portray each training scenario as accurately as possible. Traditional videos and their one-size-fits-all configuration weren’t always aligned with the most timely issues affecting Lodi on any given day.

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Apex Officer: A New and Better Way to Train

With a current total of 22,000 officers trained over 80,000+ hours throughout the existence of the Apex Officer program, its creation largely comes from the influence of CEO and co-founder Chase Dittmer. His passion to provide the best training possible and personal experience with police officers played a major role in the program’s development. “As the variety and type of threats to law enforcement and citizens alike continue to grow, many police departments are looking towards innovative technology to better train their law enforcement personnel in a safe and cost-effective manner. Unlike competing judgmental use of force simulators, Apex Officer provides a truly immersive, fully integrated, and real experience,” said Dittmer. In order to achieve that goal, an extensive and immersive solution was required—that’s where Apex Officer comes in. With nearly 2 million outcomes conducted to date.........

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Read the complete Apex Officer x HTC Vive Case Study on the Vive Enterprise Website.

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