Spokane police among first agencies to use VR headsets in officer training - KIRO Seattle

SEATTLE — The Spokane Police Department is 1 of the archetypal 100 agencies successful the federation to usage virtual world headsets to hole officers for situations they whitethorn look connected the street.

The exertion offers a assortment of scenarios for officers to respond to. In immoderate cases, they person to find ways to de-escalate volatile situations oregon determine erstwhile the usage of unit is needed.

Some scenarios springiness officers choices connected however they privation to proceed.

“We besides usage (the technology) for usage of unit wherever it’s a script wherever idiosyncratic whitethorn beryllium coming astatine the serviceman with an edged limb oregon an entity that could wounded them, and they whitethorn person to usage Tasers oregon a little lethal instrumentality to extremity that scenario,” Spokane Police Department Lt. Steve Wohl said successful a video astir the VR training.

Wohl said the section is ever looking for ways to springiness its officers amended training.

“We enactment officers done scenarios wherever they’re really witnessing and surviving what idiosyncratic with schizophrenia is feeling, truthful they’re proceeding the thoughts and intelligence processes that idiosyncratic successful situation is dealing with. It’s much realistic than trying to ticker a TV and respond to that. So, you’re really viewing and are successful that concern arsenic it unfolds,” said Wohl.

After the serviceman completes a scenario, they are debriefed astir what worked well, what could beryllium improved and issues that whitethorn person travel up during the session, KXLY reported.

Axon, the institution that provides the technology, was grooming immoderate Spokane officers past week. That grooming volition past beryllium passed connected to each officers successful the section starting successful aboriginal February, according to KXLY.

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