The Ocala City Council is scheduled to vote on a new, permanent, virtual reality training simulator for the Ocala Police Department headquarters to end a longstanding tradition of renting the machines.
The vote to spend $160,610 on the new Laser Shot Judgment Training System for the Ocala Police Department will take place during the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, June 16.
According to city staff, the police department has rented several virtual training machines over the years that allow officers to walk through various simulated scenarios designed to test their situational awareness and decision-making skills.
Agency officials note in their proposal, however, that the ongoing process of renting, setting up, and breaking down the temporary equipment is no longer conducive to the volume of continuous training required for local law enforcement officers.
To find a permanent solution, the agency says it conducted research and visited other facilities to test different equipment, ultimately determining that the training simulator provided by Laser Shot best fits the department’s growing needs.
The system utilizes a multi-screen setup to provide better immersion during the virtual training scenarios. It also comes equipped with tools for nighttime training, OC spray simulation, and CO2 cartridges that provide realistic weapon recoil. Furthermore, the advanced software will allow police instructors to spontaneously change the scenarios, forcing officers to adapt to unpredictable real-life situations on the fly.
According to city records, the new equipment will be permanently installed at the police department headquarters (402 S Pine Ave). Having a permanent installation will allow officers to conduct real-time training at any time of the day or night, which is expected to significantly reduce the timeframe needed for offering remedial training to staff members.
Laser Shot, Inc., which is based out of Stafford, Texas, manufactures various law enforcement and military training simulators, including judgmental training software and “tetherless” recoil kits. The police department’s information technology staff evaluated the company’s offerings and determined that the purchase would be cost-effective and provide the city with the best overall value.
The city plans to acquire the system through a cooperative purchasing agreement with the federal government. As a political subdivision of the state, Ocala qualifies as an eligible user of the General Service Administration’s Multiple Award Schedule. This allows the city to secure pricing and discounts previously negotiated by the federal government. The underlying contract with the vendor is valid through May 12, 2030.
Funding for the hardware, software, and associated services will be paid directly from the police department’s operational budget.
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