According to a news release from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, a second series of virtual reality trainings will be available for Ohio's 900 law enforcement agencies.

In accordance with Ohio General David Yost's Blue Ribbon Task Force recommendations, the six new courses will be offered through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA).

Beginning in June, the courses will be available on the 160 sets of virtual reality goggles in circulation through OPOTA's Close to Home program.

The courses will integrate several training topics with each scenario, allowing each to be used in various training capacities, according to the release.

The Close to Home program allows for low-cost, frequent and standardized statewide training that can be completed during a peace officers shift, according to the release.

The training videos build on skills, characters and storylines from the first series. They cover the following topics:

  • Communication
  • Community engagement
  • De-escalation
  • Decision making
  • Using time as a tool
  • Ethical and legal considerations
  • Officer safety and wellness
  • Scene assessment
  • Suspect interaction
  • Tactical considerations

"You don't send officers out to face 21st-century threats with 20th-century training - it puts lives at risk," Yost said.

He continued," Virtual reality gives us the ability to mimic high-stress, lifelike scenarios without real-world consequences, leading to better training and, in turn, smarter policing in Ohio."

According to the release, the scenarios were shot on 360-degree cameras and produced in collaboration with Ohio University. A third series of courses is already in development.

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