PORTAGE, Mich. — The Portage Department of Public Safety – Police Division’s training will now include virtual reality. The system is known as Apex Officer.
Apex Officer is described as a realistic and immersive virtual reality training simulator that allows officers to train with real firearms and equipment modified specifically for a virtual reality training environment.
The simulator puts officers in real-world scenarios in a safe and controlled environment. The scenarios run for approximately 15 minutes.
New officers will receive Apex Officer training as part of the training that they receive at onboarding. Portage police officers are already training with the virtual reality system.
“In a time when law enforcement officers are receiving more scrutiny than ever due to high-profile incidents of police use of force, we looked at how we could reimagine our training program to better prepare officers for these type of conditions,” said Public Safety Officer Nicholas Armold. “In Apex Officer, Portage police officers will encounter virtual policing scenarios and receive training in de-escalation, crisis intervention, duty to intervene, and active shooter events, among others.”
