Law enforcement entities were facing some challenges, including how to develop an effective training program. It was difficult to simulate a complex situation for training purposes. Police officers had to practice using real and safe weapons, but the training did not necessarily feel real, especially since it involved a large number of actors who usually were members of society. All these factors failed to generate the true desired effect. In the mid-1990s, a new training methodology was developed that relied on videos of different scenarios displayed on a big screen that police officers had to interact with (MILO | FATS). These systems were very expensive, costing USD 100,000 on some occasions. These scenarios were not often interactive with training officers, because the people in the video failed to respond appropriately to commands.
Virtual reality is not a new concept and has been used in the gaming industry for years. With the rise of VR goggles and their ability to provide realistic scenarios at a small cost, this technology has taken off in law enforcement and military training.
Police agencies across the United States began reviewing their policies and procedures in the wake of protests and anger over police brutality spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Within this context, the Palm Beach Police Department harnessed virtual reality to train officers.
In June of 2020, the Department presented the new VirTra 300 training simulator at the South Fire Rescue station on South Ocean Boulevard.
De-escalation and reducing tensions are two key measures for removing the risks of "tunnel vision," which may lead to inappropriate responses and the use of unnecessary force. Through VirTra, instructors can monitor the response of officers and gather information about each scenario. The simulator uses HD video and firearm replicas, thus allowing the instructor operating the software to portray 284 scenarios that officers may face in the real world. The simulator allows instructors to upload locations from their own cities and portray streets and places that are familiar to officers. VirTra displays different scenarios, such as school shootings, an active shooter in a movie theater, or a suspect who is not a perpetrator but is on the autism spectrum. A stress response usually causes increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and muscle tension. These scenarios have proven their effectiveness and how close they are to reality since they produce the same emotional and physical responses.
VirTra includes a device called Threat Fire, which looks like a smaller version of a taser but with a lesser electric charge. Officers carry this device during their training to give them a shock as a response to their action or inaction and allow them to figure out their mistakes. The system teaches officers how to de-escalate in a use-of-force scenario. If they are able to control physiological responses like increased heart rate and increased breathing, they can better control the situation.
The system tackles mental health scenarios and teaches officers to recognize different cues. VirTra can also amp up the nervous systems and train officers to stay calm and not react, which is often what happens when the conflict is escalating and adrenaline is rushing.
An important benefit of VirTra is its ability to help officers and instructors deal with explicit and implicit gender bias or racism cases within the Department. For example, one training scenario may present two male subjects in the exact same attire, one is black and the other is white, demonstrating the same behavior. This helps instructors assess how officers respond and deal with similar situations of implicit bias.
VirTra also provides a Virtual Instructor to guide officers through certain scenarios and explains to them tactical and legal principles, pre-force indicators, and behavior threat cues, which may appear in the simulation. The Virtual Instructor then gives a feedback or performance summary, which is the most important part of the training.
Resources:
https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Virtual-Reality-to-Help-Train-Palm-Beach-Fla-Police.html
