Becoming an instructor

Becoming a VR instructor is not difficult and provides an excellent return on the investment.

The 16-hour instructor course certifies officers to lead student peace officers through virtual reality (VR) training. The VR scenarios provide an avenue for agencies to train their officers in a variety of current police topics; they also can be integrated into dozens of longer courses to supplement learning. Plus, the scenarios are eligible for CPT credit.

Upon certification, instructors are given access to VR goggles and lesson plans to instruct the VR lessons. Once the VR training is completed, the VR goggles and necessary materials are available for loan at no cost from one of our conveniently located regional partners and academies throughout the state.

OPOTA provides in-person training courses at its Main Academy and the Tactical Training Center, both in London, Ohio, and at the six regional provider campuses throughout the state. New courses are added throughout the year, so please check the OPOTA Course Catalog regularly for the latest listing of available courses.

To register for a course, go to the OPOTA Portal and use the “Sign Up / Sign In” button. All users and course applicants must have an OPOTA Portal account, which verifies that you are authorized to register and attend in-person courses. On your student dashboard, the tab for in-person course registration looks like this:

In-person course registration

Clicking on the tab within the OPOTA Portal takes you to the OPOTA Course Catalog. Find a VR Instructor course close to you and register.

Currently, there are no prerequisites for the VR Instructor course. However, OAC Rule 109:2-18-03 requires the following for officers to receive CPT credit for the course:

(4) The training shall be conducted only by instructors who meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. The individual has five years of full-time sworn law enforcement experience and meets at least one of the following criteria:
    
   1. The individual is a commission-certified peace officer basic training instructor; or
   2. The individual has, at a minimum, a four-year college degree; or
   3. The individual has completed an instructional skills course approved by the executive director; or
2. The individual is a certified or licensed professional and is providing instruction in a subject area directly related to the field for which the individual is certified or licensed.
3. The individual and the training program the individual is conducting has been pre-approved by the executive director.