Gulf Coast State College holds students and community of central importance. The College provides many opportunities for learning and offers a range of programs and services to help students become well-educated, productive citizens. The College is equally dedicated to collaborating with the community to help create or improve economic well-being and to offer the space of the College for social dialog, events of art and culture and other moments that enhance our quality of life. Gulf Coast State College’s Public Safety degree pathway gives students the training and expertise to excel in a wide range of careers in public safety.

After extensive research on the various law enforcement training simulators available, Gulf Coast State College Public Safety Academy, chose to implement the Apex Officer X2 training simulator as a core component of their training program. In a recent interview, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Programs Associate Director Daryl White said, “it’s interactive and the students are equipped with the same tools that they would have out on the road or in the corrections setting because we use it for both the law enforcement and corrections communication skills.”

The Apex Officer system allows GCSC instructors the opportunity for them to choose countless different scenarios and environments, providing the students with an immersive experience. “The program itself gives you the ability to do harm reduction conversations with people that are dealing with mental health issues or crisis situations or anything like that and we can also it also has the ability to engage in use of force if they have to,” White said.