Wilkesboro police are using virtual reality to train in de-escalation - WXII12 Winston-Salem

WILKESBORO, N.C. —

Wilkesboro Police are going virtual and are utilizing caller virtual world instrumentality to bid officers successful de-escalation techniques.

Officers accidental the scenarios are overmuch much realistic than they expected, and experienced officers similar Rocky Moore accidental that realism makes a immense difference.

"You consciousness a batch much comfy doing it," helium says. "And it's not staged; It's much realistic, it's much believable."

The instrumentality was purchased from Apex Officer, a Nevada-based institution that specializes successful virtual world constabulary grooming and instrumentality enforcement grooming simulators.

It's each acknowledgment to a assistance from the DOJ's assemblage policing improvement program. Officer Moore says helium was astir amazed astatine the simulation's attraction to detail.

"I mean, this antheral I'm looking astatine is blinking backmost astatine me," helium says. "He's talking to me. He's breathing. It adds a level that you can't get talking to a cinderblock wall."

During the training, officers are dropped into a virtual space, and an relation sets the script for the serviceman to bid in. Those scenarios tin scope from location calls to progressive shooters.

Officers are capable to determination astir and interact with their environment, including people.

"Now we tin travel successful astatine immoderate clip that these guys are available," says Moore. "We tin travel successful and enactment connected that accomplishment and hone it anytime during the shift."

He says this instrumentality is invaluable, particularly successful teaching caller recruits however to de-escalate tense situations.

"In this assemblage that we're in, one-on-one connection is key," helium says. "God gave you the champion instrumentality you'll ever enactment connected your uniform, and that's your mouth."

All officers are expected to spell done the grooming implicit the people of the adjacent fewer months.

The Wilkesboro Police Department says the grooming volition assistance physique the assurance of officers, which is cardinal successful getting to the champion outcomes possible.