Law enforcement agency in Southeast Georgia has new virtual reality tool to train deputies

CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. – The APEX Officer Coaching Simulator is a digital actuality system getting used to coach police in varied situations, the place they need to determine whether or not they’re confronted with a scenario to make use of lethal drive.

It’d appear to be a sport. However it’s truly the Camden County Sheriff’s Workplace’s latest coaching software.

“It may presumably reduce the chance for a deadly interplay, both for the legislation enforcement officer or the particular person they’re participating on the road,” defined Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor.

Along with this digital use-of-force coaching, Camden County deputies together with St. Marys and Kingsland police are studying de-escalation methods, in addition to changing into more adept with firearms with out having to go to an precise gun vary.

Corporal B. Fishel, of the Kingsland Police Division, says this sort of coaching drastically prepares officers for precise encounters that require split-second timing.

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“It forces you to suppose rapidly, and it’s very reasonable,” Fishel mentioned. “We now have fractions of a second to reply on the market, and we might a lot reasonably make that mistake right here versus within the discipline.”

Using lethal drive by police is a typical prevalence across the U.S. In keeping with Statistica.com, there have been 358 police-involved shootings from the start of 2022 by way of Monday. To date, none have been in Camden County in 2022, however in Jacksonville, there have been 4. In Clay County, there was one. To date, no police-involved shootings have been recorded this yr in Nassau and St. Johns counties.

The coaching is not only restricted to legislation enforcement in Southeast Georgia. Regulation enforcement businesses in North Florida have an open invitation to attempt it out.