HCSO Adopts WRAP Reality VR Training System

Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department adopts the WRAP Reality training system, a fully immersive training simulator, to sharpen their officers’ comprehensive skills. The system exposes trainees to various scenarios and offers them a safe environment to practice essential skills, like de-escalation, conflict resolution, etc. For example, the trainers may be placed in schools that had been threatened by suspects to practice the use of force decision-making skills. Or they will be tasked with investigating a scene and collecting evidence. Currently, the system has 40 unique training scenarios.

Besides versatile scenarios, the WRAP Reality features great immersion. Compared to the traditional VR police training system that requires trainers to stand at a fixed position, the WRAP Reality allows the trainers to walk, jump and move freely in the virtual world. In addition, the trainers can interact with simulated characters in the virtual scenes, just like they will come across in real life.

To better replicate the experience of performing essential tasks, the training includes customized controllers that could simulate necessary policing tools (e.g., BolaWRAP, Taser, impact munitions). In addition, Reality Rewind can provide the full recording of the training sessions, shot placement trajectory, accuracy, etc. Trainers can analyze such recordings later to offer constructive feedback to the trainees.

Wrap Technologies aims to create advanced technologies for the safety and security of public safety. Besides WRAP Reality, BolaWrap is the company’s flagship product, a hand-held pre-escalation apprehension tool for police to restrain uncooperative suspects. This tool has been actively integrated into the WRAP Reality training system to help trainers practice the use of the policing tools in various scenarios.

Currently, the WRAP Reality has been used in 15 departments around the country.