COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a move to enhance law enforcement training, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost unveiled a new series of virtual reality (VR) trainings for peace officers across the state.

“Virtual reality provides a near-real experience, immersing officers in scenarios that require quick decision-making,” Yost explained. “The beauty of VR is that mistakes made in the virtual world don’t carry real-world consequences.”

The VR training complements existing methods, allowing officers to hone their soft skills and crisis management techniques in realistic, high-pressure situations.

Currently, six scenarios are available, each running between eight to 12 minutes. These standalone trainings can also be incorporated into longer courses and cover a range of topics, including mental health, domestic violence, school violence, adolescent brain development, suicide prevention, and dealing with irate families.

These scenarios, loaded onto 160 headsets, are accessible to Ohio’s 900 law enforcement agencies via the OPOTA Close to Home program. This collaboration between the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and six regional training providers across the state enables cost-effective, regular, and standardized training that officers can complete during their shifts.

“Our goal is to create a consistent training foundation for officers across all jurisdictions,” Yost said. “Uniform training leads to safer communities.”

The scenarios were filmed using 360-degree cameras in a joint effort with Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication, McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, the Athens Police Department, the Ohio University Police Department, and the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.

Before the launch, the VR goggles were tested by a group of law enforcement leaders at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

Todd Thomas, OSU Program Manager, expressed his excitement, saying, “Having 32 senior law enforcement officers from across Ohio participate in the VR simulation training was a great opportunity. Their firsthand experience with this cutting-edge training technology will help drive engagement as the program expands.”