UW-Oshkosh senior Kira Meidam, who plans to pursue graduate studies in behavioral science, gets fitted for a virtual-reality training exercise at the Oshkosh Police Department. From right are Sgt. Chris Romanowicz, UWO criminal justice professor D. Alper Camlibel and Lt. Matt Ziegler, one of the department’s scenario instructors.
When UW–Oshkosh criminal justice students step into the Oshkosh Police Department’s Defense and Arrest Tactics (DAAT) training room, they aren’t just learning from textbooks anymore. They’re immersed in virtual reality scenarios that challenge them to think, talk and act like officers facing real-world situations.
D. Alper Camlibel
UWO Associate Professor D. Alper Camlibel, a faculty member in the criminal justice department with a law-enforcement background, began integrating use-of-force simulation into his CJ 315 Police Deviance course shortly after joining UWO in fall 2017. The class examines how and why misconduct occurs within policing and emphasizes ethics, accountability and decision-making under pressure.
UWO senior Kaylee Manhardt, right, gears up for a virtual-reality police training exercise with Officer Keith Norkofski, ’09, at the Oshkosh Police Department.
“My goal was to combine theory with practice,” Camlibel said. “Students learn about police ethics, use of force, and procedural justice in class, but with simulations, they can experience how complex those decisions really are.”
Camlibel drew on his 17 years in policing with the Turkish National Police, where he rose to the rank of police superintendent, to make the Police Deviance course more policing-oriented and ethics-focused. Camlibel said one of the main goals of the course is to help students understand how officers make decisions in high-stress situations, and why communication and de-escalation should always come before the use of force.
“Drawing a weapon should be the last option,” he said. “Students learn that their voice, their body language and their ability to listen are often the most effective tools in resolving conflict.”
Linking classroom learning to the field
He first began using simulation technology in 2018, when he partnered with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, which charged about $40 per student for the use of its mobile simulator.
By 2023, Camlibel learned that the Oshkosh Police Department (OPD) had purchased a more advanced virtual-reality training system. He reached out to the department—where several of his former students now serve—to arrange access for his class.
Unlike the Green Bay simulator, the OPD system uses VR headsets, simulated duty gear and interactive environments that mirror real calls for service. One student at a time is strapped into a backpack, VR goggles and microphone. Another student is in the room acting as back-up. Camlibel records all the actions in the training room. Later, the students will watch these recordings later, similar to how police officers review body camera footage, to prepare their use of force report assignments.
After each exercise, students receive immediate feedback and debriefing with Camlibel and Lt. Matt Ziegler, one of the department’s scenario instructors, who reviews their decisions and discusses strategies for de-escalation and officer safety.
The partnership with the Oshkosh Police Department has also opened doors for recruitment and relationship-building between students and local law enforcement.
A monitor displays what the student “officer” sees during a virtual-reality training scenario at the Oshkosh Police Department. In this exercise—known as the pub crawl scenario—participants must decide how to respond as a crowd grows loud and threatening.
Learning under pressure
Thirteen UW–Oshkosh criminal justice students attended the latest VR training, rotating through realistic scenarios such as a traffic stop for a driver who failed to stop at a sign, a disturbance at a pub crawl, an active shooter at a local park, and a person threatening self-harm inside a classroom. The entire class will spend three hours in the VR training before the semester ends.
Kira Meidam, a senior from Oshkosh who plans to pursue graduate studies in behavioral science, said the experience tested her instincts in unexpected ways.
“I was nervous and unsure at first. I actually forgot to identify myself or say which department I’m with,” she said. “In the pub-crawl scenario, when someone pulled a knife and people started throwing rocks, I focused on the suspect’s well-being and used a Taser instead of a firearm. The simulation sharpened my observation skills: in behavioral science I’ll need to see the whole group, not just one person.”
Kaylee Manhardt, a senior from Wales (Wisconsin), who plans to attend law school, said the scenarios showed how unpredictable police work can be.
“I tried to stay one step ahead but quickly learned you have to focus on the moment in front of you,” she said. “During the active-shooter scenario, when my weapon didn’t fire, I realized how unpredictable things can be. This taught me to think on my feet, something I’ll need in law school and in court.”
Roy Grande, a senior from Chicago, Illinois, said the training felt real enough to scramble his original plans.
From left, Officer Keith Norkofski, ’09, and Sgt. Chris Romanowicz of the Oshkosh Police Department oversee a virtual-reality training session with UW-Oshkosh criminal justice students. Norkofski runs the simulation software, while Romanowicz, the department’s professional development sergeant, coordinates training and field instruction for new recruits.
“Before I went in, I was running scenarios through my head—thinking what I’d say and how I’d handle it,” he said. “But once I was in there, I forgot everything. You don’t realize how fast things happen until you’re the one trying to talk someone down.”
Garett Graff, a senior from Kaukauna, helped de-escalate a scenario in which a woman threatened to harm herself.
“I just focused on talking to her, trying to calm her down and convince her to put the knife down so she could get the help she needed,” Graff said. “It made me realize how important communication is in this job.”
Both Grande and Graff plan to pursue careers in law enforcement after graduation.
A lesson in communication
During the exercises, Officer Keith Norkofski, a 2009 UWO graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, guided each scenario through a headset, voicing suspects and victims while his digital avatar shifted from one scenario to the next.
Now in his 12th year with the Oshkosh Police Department, Norkofski said he uses the same simulator to train new probationary officers and hopes the experience helps students understand the importance of communication in every situation.
“Sometimes you have time to de-escalate a person in crisis and sometimes the only communication available is action,” he said. “Even though it’s just words, talking to someone can be very difficult.”
UWO criminal justice professor D. Alper Camlibel, left, guides students through a virtual reality police training scenario at the Oshkosh Police Department. From left are Camlibel, UWO seniors Garett Graff and Roy Grande and Lt. Matt Ziegler.
For Camlibel, the simulations are an extension of the classroom—a place where lessons about ethics, accountability, communication and split-second judgment come to life.
Beyond the classroom
The experience gives students a rare chance to learn directly from Oshkosh police officers—using the same technology the department relies on to train its own recruits. For the students, the lessons extend far beyond policing.
“This hands-on simulation training taught me the importance of thinking on my feet and staying focused when things don’t go as planned,” Manhardt said. “These skills translate to my future career in law, because unexpected challenges often occur.”
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