OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – The Oshkosh Police Department is taking officer training to another level.
The department recently acquired a new immersive virtual reality training simulator, called Apex Officer. It puts the officer in real-life scenarios where instructors can choose which type of call the officer is responding to, the environment, and the dialogue.
“The instructor can control all of the different scenarios that they are placed in, and how the avatar in the system will react to and engage with the officer,” said Officer Kate Mann. “This provides additional training and feedback for officers to learn in a controlled environment…Officers can receive that immediate feedback during the scenario, based on how they’re interacting during a scenario – and then afterwards during the debrief.”
The Oshkosh Police Department now has a virtual reality training simulator, called Apex Officer, April 26, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Oshkosh Police)
Scenarios can range from traffic stops to disturbances to life-threatening encounters. This interactive system allows officers to work on a variety of skills including: de-escalation techniques, communication, active listening, decision-making, judgement and problem solving.
“It’s really nice for us to be able to simulate either things that have happened before that we want to de-brief and look for ways to how we can improve what we’ve done, or even just other scenarios that maybe newer officers have not experienced yet,” Mann told WTAQ News. “We can recreate them in this virtual reality and simulated environment so everybody is safe, but yet they can really practice their skills.”
The simulator was purchased with funds that were donated by the JEK Foundation as the primary donor with additional support from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
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