NewsPolk County

Actions

Winter Haven Police use new virtual reality tool for de-escalation training

Winter Haven Police use new virtual reality tool for de-escalation training
winter haven police training.png
Posted
and last updated

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Winter Haven Police Department is unveiling a new training technique using virtual reality. Department leaders said this will help save lives and better prepare officers for the future.

It is called the Axon Virtual Reality Simulator. It puts officers in real-life situations to help them better prepare for future situations.

I spoke to Sergeant Steve Rusich about how this works. He said officers are put in intense situations and are tested on their response.

“There is some when it is domestic violence. There’s active shooters in here, bar fights, officers in distress,” Sergeant Rusich said.

He said this will help his officers respond quicker and more efficiently in future situations.

“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”

South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.

Lawmaker looks to ban HOAs