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www.fbinaa.orgVirTra Experience at FBINAA Event Spurs Collaboration
That Enhanced Use of Force Training for Multiple Agencies
When he first saw a modern, five-screen, police use of
force training simulator in operation at the 2016 FBI
National Academy Associates annual conference in
July 2016, Deputy Chief
Kenneth Cox
of the St. Louis
County (Missouri) Police Department was quickly
convinced.
"My impression was that we need to get
one,"
said Cox, a 2008 graduate of the FBI Academy,
Session 232. "It's not only for active shooter situations
like Columbine – that's been on the radar for years –
but it's also for de-escalation training."
HOW LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT
CAN COLLABORATE
TO ACQUIRE
USE OF FORCE
TRAINING
SIMULATORS
T
he system – a totally interactive system from
VirTra, Inc.
that dis-
plays realistic video simulations on five large screens surrounding
the officers who are being trained – allows participants to be completely
immersed in multi-sensory experiences in real-time crime situations
which feature human actors. A nearby training officer runs the computer-
driven simulations, and can control how they unfold and conclude, from
shots being fired to de-escalation of a dangerous situation with a suspect
in police custody without any violence. The video scenarios can be re-
played or changed at a moment's notice for all officers using the system.