LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office has unveiled a brand new top-of-the-line training system for its deputies.
It will allow them to experience real-life scenarios in virtual reality and will help to prepare them for what they could encounter in the field.
Lieutenant Chris Ameling with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said that as they learn to use this new tech, he's the one who guides deputies through the simulator and dispatches information into their headsets.
"When I react or when you react to me. It's immediate there's no pause," said Lt. Ameling.
A common problem with other systems that they've used in the past has been the delay in interaction. That can make the technology feel outdated, but the new system does not do that.
Their new system called the APEX Officer Virtual Reality Training System is a live-action simulator.
It comes with everything an officer would need to be prepared, from the items on their belt to how to interact in any circumstance.
An officer first must put on the headset and backpack, and then they will become fully immersed in virtual reality.
To train help officers, Lt. Ameling sets up a situation that any deputy could face while on the job, whether it's in a hospital, school, jail, or outside someone's house.
The goal of that training is de-escalation and learning when it's necessary to use force.
"It's not just about shoot or don't shoot. It is about how do we bring the situation down so we can resolve it," said PCSO Sheriff Eric Higgins. "We have to be versatile in giving our deputies the tools they need to interact with people in the community."
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office purchased two systems that cost them a total of $150,000.
They have already begun to train deputies with the new system and they have been allowing other agencies the opportunity to use it.