Law enforcement using virtual reality training to improve decision making
Police agents train with virtual reality
Police departments across the country are turning to virtual reality training to help officers make quick decisions in high-pressure and potentially dangerous situations.
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Aurora, Colorado – Police departments across the country are turning to virtual reality training to help officers make quick decisions in difficult, and sometimes dangerous, situations.
The goal is to help officers respond quickly and safely to any call, according to technology company Axon, and more than 1,500 police agencies across the U.S. and Canada are now using Axon’s VR training software to achieve that.
Recruits at the Aurora Police Department in Colorado are among those training with the technology.
“You have to actually be in the scene, moving, feeling everything,” recruit Jose Vasquez Duran said.
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Police departments across the United States and Canada are increasingly adopting virtual reality training programs to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-life situations. (Kennedy Hayes/Fox News)
Fellow recruit Tyler Fricke described it as “almost like… a 3D movie. Except that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing when we graduate from the academy.”
Aurora PD uses Axon’s virtual reality software to prepare recruits for scenarios including de-escalation, use of Tasers, and other high-stress interactions.
“It’s filmed with live actors reenacting scenarios. We have a lot of content focused on a wide range of topics, from mental health to people suffering from drug overdoses or facing domestic violence,” said Thi Le, vice president and general manager of Axon Virtual Reality.
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In Aurora, Colorado, police recruits are training in virtual reality to prepare for real-life scenarios, including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions. (Kennedy Hayes/Fox News)
The Aurora Police Department has used Axon’s virtual reality training program for three years. Officials say technology has become more advanced and easier to use, helping to free up other resources.
“It really helps bolster my workforce, the training staff, when we have, you know, 10 or 15 recruits doing the exact same scenario at the same time. It means we get the most out of our training hours, and having well-trained, well-experienced officers is really important,” said Aurora Police Sgt. Faith Goodrich.
Axon said the artificial intelligence in its latest training program can modify how virtual suspects behave, making them friendly, aggressive or anything in between. They can answer questions, respond, or even refuse to cooperate, just like in real life.
Each session is different, depending on how the officers handle the situation.
Police recruits interact with virtual reality to hone their skills. (Kennedy Hayes/Fox News)
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A PwC study found that virtual reality can speed up officers’ training and boost confidence in applying new skills compared to their classroom-trained counterparts.
According to the study, VR learners showed a four times faster training rate and a 275% increase in confidence when applying learned skills compared to their classroom-trained counterparts.