The Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Southern Illinois University (SIU) sought to improve students' understanding of law enforcement challenges and provide a research mechanism to study aspects of police work. Traditional criminology education methods often fall short in providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and challenges of law enforcement work. Classroom instruction and textbook learning, while essential, can be limiting in conveying the real-life experiences officers face daily. Additionally, studying various aspects of police work, such as decision-making and use-of-force, can be difficult without a controlled environment that replicates realistic situations.

To overcome these challenges, the SIU Criminology and Criminal Justice Department implemented the Apex Officer simulator, an advanced VR training tool designed to provide students with a greater insight into law enforcement challenges. The Apex Officer simulator offers:

1. Offers a wide range of realistic scenarios, such as active shooter situations, domestic disputes, and traffic stops, to expose students to diverse law enforcement challenges.
2. Allows students to make critical decisions in real-time, enabling them to experience the consequences of their actions and learn from their mistakes.
3. Provides instructors with the ability to customize scenarios and evaluate student performance, creating a tailored learning experience for each individual.
4. Serves as a research mechanism to study various aspects of police work, including decision-making, use-of-force, and communication, within a controlled and safe environment.

After implementing the Apex Officer simulator, SIU's Criminology and Criminal Justice Department observed the following results:

1. Enhanced Student Learning: Students gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of law enforcement work, as they could now experience real-life scenarios and practice decision-making in a controlled environment.
2. Improved Skill Development: The immersive nature of the VR simulations allowed students to develop crucial skills such as communication, de-escalation, and situational awareness more effectively than traditional methods.
3. Valuable Research Data: The Apex Officer simulator provided a platform for conducting research on various aspects of police work, leading to valuable insights that could be incorporated into the curriculum and shared with law enforcement agencies.
4. Positive Feedback: Both students and instructors reported high satisfaction levels with the Apex Officer simulator.