Wilmington police introduce new VR training technology

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Police Department is introducing a new virtual reality training system designed to help officers improve decision-making skills during real-life situations.

WWAY got an inside look at the department’s new technology on Wednesday, which places officers into realistic, scenario-based environments using virtual reality headsets.

In one training scenario, an officer wearing a VR headset responded to an armed suspect inside a building and had to quickly decide whether to deploy a Taser — just one of the many real-world situations officers can now train for.

“We’ve partnered with Axon to use virtual reality headsets to supplement what we’re already doing, and this is really the cutting edge of police training technology,” said Lt. Matt Fox, who oversees training technology and recruiting for the department.

Fox said the system is designed to help officers avoid confrontation, improve decision-making, and strengthen performance in high-pressure situations.

“We really feel like this new technology is going to let us hit all three aspects of training in a condensed, very effective platform for our officers,” said Fox.

Beyond Taser training, Fox said the virtual reality system helps prepare officers for a wide range of interactions with the public.

“Not every situation is a law enforcement matter, but the police, nobody has anybody else to call other than the police, so it’s typically going to be a police officer to show up to handle your whatever crisis is, so we want the best possible police-citizen interactions we can get,” said Fox.

One of the scenarios demonstrated was designed to place officers “inside” the perspective of someone experiencing schizophrenia. The simulation uses voices and visual effects to help officers better understand how to interact with people experiencing mental health crises.

Fox said the training is intended to help create safer interactions between officers and the public.

“This is going to be an investment in the future for positive police-community relations, and if it prevents even one negative outcome in the future, it was wholly worth it,” said Fox.

The department said the virtual reality program is designed to supplement and add to the hands-on training officers already complete in the field.