Owens utilizing VR Technology for law enforcement training

        Law enforcement officers training at Owens Community College’s Center for Emergency Preparedness will benefit from new virtual reality (VR) goggles provided by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
        The Meta Quest 3 VR goggle headsets are the latest technology upgrade in scenario-based training for Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) cadets and current officers seeking continuing education.
        The training is accompanied by six videos filmed with 360-degree cameras, enabling the cadets and officers to feel like they are part of the action. The scenario-based videos cover mental health, domestic violence, school violence, the teen brain, suicide prevention and irate families. They last 8-12 minutes each and serve as standalone topics.
        “Training helps officers better understand and respond to situations as they occur and the new VR goggles will only enhance decision-making and problem-solving,” said Mark King, manager of OPOTA training at Owens. “Training is vital for officer success. Officers continue to train throughout their careers to ensure their safety, their partner’s safety and the safety of the community they serve.”
        Owens’ instructors spent two days learning how to utilize the VR goggles.
        OPOTA was founded at Owens in 1970 in cooperation with the Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission (OPOTC) and certified by the Ohio Attorney General’s office. In 2022, Owens was named a Close to Home regional advanced training site for current law enforcement professionals. More than 80 agencies in northwest Ohio also form the Law Enforcement Consortium and utilize 600 continuing education training hours annually.
        The VR goggles will provide a low-cost, standardized training foundation for all officers in Ohio, according to the Attorney General’s office.
        The training videos were produced by Ohio State University and Ohio University in cooperation with the Athens Police Department and Athens County Sheriff’s Office. The Attorney General’s office is already producing more scenario videos, tentatively scheduled for completion in summer 2025.
        “Our cadets pass their state certification at nearly 100 percent right now,” King said. “This new technology will only enhance their training and further prepare them for when they are on the job.”