Massachusetts Police Use Virtual Reality for Training Officers

Massachusetts police officers are now using virtual reality technology that allows law enforcement agencies to train for de-escalation, use of force, and crisis intervention situations in safe, immersive, and controlled environment.

Apex Officer, a global provider of training simulators for the law enforcement, military, first responder, educational and commercial markets, today announced that police departments in Massachusetts are using their virtual reality platform to train their law enforcement officers.

The Barnstable Police Department serves a population of 44,163 residents. With the national focus on the use of force and police training, the 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 Barnstable Police Department chose to include the Apex Officer judgmental use of force simulator as a major component of its training program.

"Apex Officer is a game-changer for training technology and is transforming the face of law enforcement," said Chase Dittmer, chairman, and CEO of Apex Officer. "Outdated technology is preventing law enforcement agencies from training effectively. Our 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."

Massachusetts Police Training In Virtual Reality

Almost every Barnstable (MA) Police Officer, Dispatcher, and several non-sworn employees have had the opportunity to use the simulator. In addition we have used it in our Citizen’s Academy and have received a lot of positive reviews from all who have used it. We look forward to our continued use of the Apex Officer simulator, so that we can continue to provide our officers with valuable training opportunities and prepare them for the unexpected.

The Apex Officer 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.

"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," said Chase Dittmer, chairman, and CEO of Apex Officer. "Unlike competing judgmental use of force simulators, Apex Officer provides a truly immersive, fully integrated, and real experience."

Each training scenario in 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 a trainee's critical thinking skills, weapons skills under pressure, and psychological responses to the stresses of life-like situations.

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About Apex Officer

Apex Officer is a provider of training simulators for the law enforcement, Defense, first responders and educational markets. The company'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 longstanding problems in policing and public safety.

Learn more about how police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country are using Apex Officer's virtual reality training simulator to prepare their officers for de-escalation and use of force incidents.

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