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Council receives report on Apex VR officer training; rollout remains limited while contractor restructures
Summary
The Baldwin Park Police Department updated the council on implementation of an Apex virtual reality training simulator and related Perishable Skills Program (PSP) requirements; training rollout has been limited to a small number of recruits while Apex undergoes corporate reorganization and staff trainers complete mandatory PSP modules.
The Baldwin Park City Council received and filed a staff report updating the status of virtual reality (VR) training equipment purchased from Apex Officer and related training activities.
Police staff briefed council on the Apex VRT simulator program and explained implementation has been staged around the POST-mandated Perishable Skills Program (PSP) and associated supplemental training. Staff said an initial capital outlay for Apex equipment was part of an earlier agenda action and the total project cost reported in staff documents (about $198,817) included equipment plus consultant and implementation services. Police staff told council that the Apex VR simulator has been used for training recently with seven newly hired officers; department staff trainers (listed in the report as Izzo and Barrios) are conducting additional sessions as the department phases more officers through the platform.
Staff also told the council that Apex announced corporate restructuring and that some customer support and offerings have been limited during the transition; Apex is operating under or in partnership with GovRed Technologies according to staff remarks. Staff said Apex remains functional but that unexpected vendor restructuring delayed broader rollout. The council approved the recommendation to receive and file the report by roll call (motion by Council member Ayala, second by Mayor Pro Tem Damien). The roll-call vote was recorded as unanimous.
Why it matters: The Apex VR system is a department training tool aimed at improving officers' decision-making and tactics through scenario-based simulation; the council asked clarifying questions about how many officers had completed PSP requirements, how many had used the Apex VRT, and whether in-house trainers could continue sessions while vendor support evolves. Staff said approximately 80% of officers had completed the required PSP mobile application modules and that seven officers had participated on the Apex simulator as of April 2025; broader deployment will continue as trainers and equipment availability permit.
