How a new virtual reality system can help train Sacramento police for real-life encounters
Sacramento Bee 5/8/2021 Rosalio Ahumada, The Sacramento Bee
May 8 Two Virginia police officers in December pulled over a Black and Latino U.S. Army officer for a missing license plate before they pointed guns at 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario, pepper sprayed him and pushed him to the ground, according to videos of the incident.
A week later, Lt. Zachary Bales and his training division team at the Sacramento Police Department were analyzing the video of that controversial police encounter to learn how to teach officers and new recruits what not to do.
Sacramento police officers to use virtual reality in training Share Updated: 11:16 PM PDT May 5, 2021 Share Updated: 11:16 PM PDT May 5, 2021
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Show Transcript GOOD TO GO. WALTER: THE SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INCORPORATING VIDEO SIMULATORS WITH SCENARIOS INSPIRED BY REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES IN THE FIELD, TO TRAIN ITS OFFICERS IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. LIEUTENANT ZACHARY BALES HEADS UP THE TRAINING. TRAINING COST A LOT OF MONEY. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO SET UP. IT TAKES SPACE AND YOU NEED DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS TO DO THAT. HERE IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD, YOU CAN LITERALLY OFFER A SCENARIO, BUILD A SCENARIO AND PUT THAT OFFICER IN THAT SCENARIO. WALTER: JUST LIKE REAL LIFE, THE OFFICERS HAVE TO MAKE SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS THAT COULD AFFECT NOT ONLY THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY BUT THEIR OWN AS WELL. A HANDFUL OF JOURNALISTS GOT TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE TRAINING SENARIOS. IF YOU COME ANY CLOSER, I’M J