KTNV ABC,Channel 13,Las Vegas,Nevada,News,Weather,Sports,Entertainment,KTNV.com,Action News .:. Metro looking into new training simulator for officers

Metro looking into new training simulator for officers

Las Vegas, NV - Local law enforcement agencies are always looking for ways to improve their training.

The latest interactive weapons simulator was on display Friday at SHOT, the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show.  

Shawn Goggin has worked for Customs and Border Protection for more than 20 years.

So when VirTra Systems puts him through their firearms training simulator, he knows how to react.

New officers or soldiers might not be so level headed.

That's why VirTra Systems tries to make their scenarios as realistic as possible, using 360 degree HD video.

"With computer generated environments or characters, you can't catch subtle nuances like non-verbal cues, like facial expressions or slight change in stance," says Brian Wardell, VirTra's Director of Product Services.

The officers are given an actual Glock 22 with compressed air so there's a recoil.

And to make the simulation even more real, there's a Threat Fire Two. If an officer gets shot in the scenario, they would really get shocked.  

"They get real world training," says Wardell.  "It's not just go in there and shoot, not like a big video game.  That's the last thing we want it to be."

The Nye County Sheriff's Department invested in the system last year, and Metro has expressed an interest.

The simulators cost between $50-200 thousand dollars.

Stay tuned to Action News.