MERIDIAN - The Idaho State Police have a new high-tech tool that leaders hope will help attract new recruits.
The law enforcement agency launched its new 360-degree mobile phone app and videos.
The app, called Join ISP, is available for iPhone and Android devices. It features a virtual recruiting office and includes commentary from four ISP troopers.
There are also virtual reality videos that show what it is like to work for the Idaho State Police, as well as many of the recreational opportunities available in the state. The videos are also available on YouTube.
ISP says the aim of the new recruiting tools is to make it more convenience for qualified candidates to learn about becoming a trooper.
"The focus of the videos is to give the viewer some insight into what life is like as a trooper and why we have become troopers in the first place," said Capt. Vern Hancock.
The immersive videos let you walk alongside a K-9 officer inspecting a car during a traffic stop, take you out to the shooting range, and put you inside a patrol car running drills at ISP headquarters.
"You feel like you're there," said David Cleverdon, president of 360 Immersive, the company that produced the videos. "You feel like you're in an active shooter situation. You actually feel like you're in the car and you're driving 100 miles per hour through the cones and you're training and that's a connected experience."