Harlan County Sheriff’s Office conducts virtual reality training
Published Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 9:27 a.m.
The Harlan County Sheriff’s Office recently completed training using a new virtual reality system to simulate multiple scenarios deputies may face during their law enforcement careers.
Harlan County Sheriff Chris Brewer spoke about the training in a recent interview.
“This is a virtual reality simulator that the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACO) is circulating around the state,” Brewer said. “It’s not just for the sheriff. We reach out to all law enforcement agencies in the county. Basically, you put on VR goggles and go through some scenarios.”
Brewer said the hypothetical scenarios include a variety of situations police may be involved in, including traffic stops, responding to a school shooting and responding to a domestic violence call.
Brewer explained how the training will be conducted.
“A trainer operates[the system],” Brewer said. “The trainee has to vocalize and verbalize. He has a belt with a Taser, a gun, all the gear he would have on duty. Depending on how verbal the trainer is, the trainer can get the person to comply or shoot. There are a few different scenarios they can go through.”
Brewer said the training is an asset to law enforcement personnel.
“This gives them exposure to real-life situations, even if they may never encounter the same situation in real life, and it helps them prepare,” Brewer said. “You never know when things are going to happen, so this is another tool to help prepare our officers.”
Brewer said the VR system is a new feature KACO is offering for this type of training.
“We get one about every two years,” Brewer said. “It’s a really state-of-the-art system. It’s very realistic. You wear VR goggles while you train. Previously, the system was just a big monitor screen.”
Brewer noted that this is the first time this particular piece of equipment has been available in Harlan County since he became sheriff.
“To get this certification, we had to send deputies out to be trained and certified to run the program,” Brewer said. “All of our deputies have gone through this training multiple times. I have made it mandatory for my staff to go through this training.”
