CLEVELAND, OH - Police departments across the Northeast region of Ohio spent the day in Cleveland preparing for high-pressure situations that often require split-second decisions using virtual reality technology.
The regional training brought in instructors from Pennsylvania with the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center, helping officers work through realistic scenarios ranging from traffic stops to active shooter situations, FOX 8 reported.
The training took place inside University Circle Police Department. The officers that attended took part in immersive virtual reality training specifically designed to prepare officers for the kinds of situations they could face at any moment, every single day while on the job.
"We are able to go through scenario-based training where we could practice de-escalation tactics, but also threat assessment and then kind of problem solving and working through different, various scenarios like noise complaints all the way to an active shooter,” said University Circle police officer, Joe Fazio.
Officers rotated through hour-long sessions using VR headsets that simulated high-stress encounters in a controlled environment. "It’s a really cool training because you allow officers to get put in high-stress situations without adding the danger of it,” said Sgt. Nicholas Derea, VR Manager with Northeast Counterdrug Training Center.
Trainers said that immersive training helps officers build quick decision-making skills. Police also said this kind of realistic training is critical, not only for officer safety, but public safety as well.
"If we make any errors, we learn from our mistakes, but we don’t do it on the street where it could be catastrophic. So, it’s much better to do it in a virtual environment and correct and repair our errors,” said University Circle Police Chief, Tom Wetzel.
The training was provided free of charge. University Circle Police said this was their first time hosting the regional VR training and hope to bring it back in the future.
The regional training runs from Tuesday through Thursday, with officers cycling through different virtual reality scenarios and exercises each day.
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