Police agencies turn to virtual reality to improve split-second decision-making

Police departments across the country are turning to virtual reality training to help officers make split-second decisions in difficult, and sometimes dangerous, situations.

Recruits at the Aurora Police Department in Colorado are among those training with the technology. 

"You get to be actually in the scene, move around, just feel for everything," recruit Jose Vazquez Duran said.

Fellow recruit Tyler Frick described it as "Almost like... a 3D Movie. Except this is exactly what we are going to be doing when we graduate the academy."

Aurora PD uses Axon's virtual reality program to prepare recruits for scenarios including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions.

"It's filmed with live actors who are re-enacting scenarios. And we have a lot of content there focused on a wide range of topics, from mental health to people who are experiencing drug overdose or encountering domestic violence," said Thi Luu, vice president and general manager of Axon Virtual Reality.

"Really helps on manpower for my staff, the training staff, when we can have, you know, 10 or 15 recruits all doing the exact same scenario at the same time. That means we are getting the most out of our training hours and having well-trained, well-rounded officers is really important," said Aurora Police Sgt. Faith Goodrich.

Every session is different, depending on how officers handle the situation.

According to the study, VR learners showed a four times faster training rate and a 275% boost in confidence when applying learned skills compared to their classroom-trained counterparts.