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 g