Virtual Reality Utilized for Police De-Escalation Training
On 5/20/21 at 10:56 AM EDT
An Indiana police department is using virtual reality to train its officers on how to de-escalate dangerous situations that could end in injuries or fatalities.
The Greenfield Police Department in central Indiana demonstrated the new technology on Wednesday as an officer showed local media a virtual simulation of a situation that police would be expected to de-escalate.
Fox 59 reported that the virtual reality training system provided by Evolution VR began in the spring, and allowed police trainers to see where officers can improve their de-escalation responses.
Speaking to Fox59 on Wednesday, Greenfield Police Capt. Chuck McMichael said the technology allowed the force to quickly put officers in a range of scenarios. "Sometimes de-escalation skills are not going to work, and you have people who are set on doing bad things," he added. "Sometimes using force of some type, or whatever level, is going to be necessary to resolve those situations."