How to Utilize Virtual Reality for Law Enforcement Training Programs

The advancement of technology has a massive impact on both the day-to-day duties of law enforcement as well as the methodologies used in their training. In a recent series of webinars, Vector Solutions is partnering with industry experts to discuss new training technologies available to today’s law enforcement agencies and how to utilize them effectively. In our first webinar, we examined online training and it’s use in a law enforcement setting.

In our second webinar of this four-part series– “Utilizing Virtual Reality for Immersive Officer Training Experiences” –we discussed the use of virtual reality (VR) training for law enforcement, how to implement it effectively, and the benefits it offers.

Presented by Vector Solutions, the discussion was moderated by ret. Sgt. Doug Kazensky, Senior Solutions Engineer at Vector Solutions and featured Lon Bartel, who previously spent 20 years in law enforcement and is now Principal Researcher at VirTra, a global provider of training simulators for law enforcement and military training.

What is virtual reality training for law enforcement?

The idea of “virtual reality” has existed for a very long time. but the practical application of it as a training tool for law enforcement is much more recent. As shared by Bartel, law enforcement agencies have utilized screen-based simulation training for things like firearms training for many years, but modern VR training is something else entirely.

“When I say simulation, I’m talking about a screen-based approach. If you’ve been a cop for more than 10 years, you’ve ran [one of those systems],” he said. “Technically, that is a type of simulation, but it doesn’t fall specifically under a virtual reality heading.”

Today, there are multiple types of training under the greater umbrella of VR:

• Virtual Reality (VR): Offers total immersion, ideal for scenarios where isolation from the world is desired.
• Augmented Reality (AR): Enhances the real world with digital elements, maintaining a connection to the physical environment.
• Mixed Reality (MR): Integrates and interacts with both real and virtual elements, creating a more dynamic and interactive experience.

In general, AR and MR exist on scale, where the amount of real or virtual elements depends on the exact scenario. On the other hand, VR is an absolute. In a true VR experience, users are completely engrossed into a digital scenario and everything they see is rendered digitally.

“What we’re seeing technologically is that a lot of companies are moving away from a true, 100% VR-only headset and more towards a headset that can support both virtual reality and some form of mixed or augmented reality,” Bartel said.

Why should law enforcement agencies utilize virtual reality training?

VR is still very much a new training tool for law enforcement, but it’s already clear there are significant benefits offered by this training method.

“A lot of the time in law enforcement training, we eliminate the environment. It’s done in a mat room, it’s on a range…it’s not necessarily the same environment law enforcement officers have to actually perform in,” Bartel said. “The beauty of VR is that you can create these environments that you wouldn’t have access to except for a call for service or they’re just too dangerous to recreate.”

One example, he said, is an individual threatening suicide by jumping out a window. Instead of an agency attempting to recreate that dynamic convincingly enough in the real world to be a worthwhile training experience, they can utilize a VR scenario to provide that training without risking the safety of officers or role players.

“Those environments are very easily done in a VR space. Environments that I otherwise couldn’t create or have access to or couldn’t do very often, you can do in VR,” Bartel said.

Utilzing a VR environment instead of in-person scenario training can also help standardize training and ensure consistency across a wide variety of situations, including routine traffic stops and active shooter events.

“When you have role players you try and put guardrails up because you need consistency across the department… you just never really know where it’s going to go,” Kazensky said.

Bartel agreed, adding that while he has always been a proponent of scenario-based training, working with role players can be difficult.

“I have had a role player screw up my entire scenario just because of the way they said something,” he said. “You don’t just script out names and locations and what’s happening… You have to tell people what to do, and more importantly, what they can’t do.”

With VR, you can ensure all officers are presented with training that is consistent and, because of that consistency, find opportunities to grow and improve your training program as whole.

“Training is a way to get feedback from the students on the implementation of everything from training to your equipment programs to policy considerations. And when you can control all the variables, it’s much easier to see consistency in [that feedback],” Bartel said.

Additional benefits of VR for law enforcement training include increased convenience and reduced costs when compared to traditional in-person training.

“Finding a physical space and role players takes time and effort,” Kazensky said. “[With VR], we can just turn it on and load up that scenario and we’re ready to go.”

While there is an initial financial investment that agencies need to make to get started with VR, it can help agencies save money in the long run.

“[With VR], I can reduce costs over time, get lots of repetition in, and get lots of training time in because I can do it with a lot less personnel and still mimic the environment where I have tons of people involved,” Bartel said. “Long term, there is definitely a benefit from a cost perspective.”

What are the limits to virtual reality training for law enforcement?

Despite all the benefits offered by virtual reality training for law enforcement, there are also considerations with the VR technology itself that agencies should keep in mind.

“The challenge that you run into is that the capability of the [VR technology] is not the only piece of the puzzle. The bigger piece of the puzzle is the human component,” Bartel said.

First and foremost, some individuals may experience simulation sickness when utilizing a VR headset. It can come on quickly, last for hours, and cause symptoms of nausea, dizziness, fatigue, headache, strain, postural instability, and vomiting.

To help officers overcome simulation sickness, Bartel recommends gradual exposure by slowly increasing the duration of VR session to help officers build tolerance to it, and to provide officers with frequent breaks to help minimize onset and severity of symptoms.

Additionally, even for those individuals that don’t experience simulation sickness, some elements of VR can be hard to accept.

“One of the concepts that I look at on a routine basis is called a technology acceptance model. Just because you have a technology, it doesn’t mean people are going to accept it,” Bartel said.

Two main concepts of the human acceptance model are perceived usefulness and perception of ease of use. If you try and introduce a technology that doesn’t seem very useful and is hard to use, people will be less likely to want to use it, Bartel said, using 3D televisions as an example.

Another important consideration, especially when selecting a VR scenario to use, is whether they utilize real people or computer-generated models. If the scenario utilizes digital models, officers may start to experience what’s referred to as the uncanny valley effect, which creates an aversion that can be detrimental to training efforts.

“The easiest way for me to explain is Tom Hanks’ character in Polar Express. The conductor is creepy as all hell…My biggest worry about CGI is how do I figure out if an officer made a decision on force usage based on physical behavior cues versus this uncanny valley effect that implies a harmful intent?” Bartel said. “CGI characters provide problems because the [behavior] stimulus that we need is not created accurately.”

How can law enforcement agencies implement virtual reality training effectively?

In addition to the previously mentioned tips to mitigate the challenges associated with VR training, like simulation sickness and the uncanny valley effect, there are certain steps an agency can take to help ensure a seamless integration of VR into their already existing training program.

As shared by Bartel, these tips include:

1. Preparing your officers appropriately. Like with any major change, it’s important to provide opportunities for officers to ask questions and get any concerns alleviated ahead of time.
2. Establishing safety protocols. Ensure that whatever tools your officers will be utilizing as part of the training are managed appropriately. Additionally, ensure that anything that shouldn’t be in the room, such as live firearms, are locked away as needed.
3. Developing or using established curricula. Like all training, it’s vital to have a written, established curriculum for your VR training. It should include your performance objectives, testing, and remediation in the event more training is needed to reach those established goals. Additionally, the use of VR training certified by a nationally recognized organization like IADLEST can ensure the training you’re providing your officers offers is high-quality and accurate to today’s policing best practices.
4. Starting small. Take the time to get your officers properly used to the idea of VR training, especially for those officers who have a negative physical reaction to the technology.

Additionally, the use of a training management system, like Vector’s TMS purpose-built for law enforcement, can help agencies measure training efficacy, track training from hire-to-retire, and report training progress to state certifying bodies or other overseeing entities.

“If you are running your training program on an Excel spreadsheet, you’re going to get in a bind,” Bartel said. “I would encourage everybody to go check out [Vector Solutions.]”

Learn more about the use of technology in law enforcement training programs

To learn more about how your agency can incorporate new technologies into your training program, register for the other webinars in this series.

For insights on designing online training programs for law enforcement, register and watch, “Effectively Design Online Training Programs for Law Enforcement,” on-demand, featuring Alvin Sowers, Associate Director at KLETC and John Jacobs, Training Manager at Utah POST

Vector Solutions’ suite of industry-leading software solutions for law enforcement includes training management systems, online training courses, FTO/PTO/CTO/live skill evaluations, academy automation, and an early intervention and conduct management system.