[This short story from Police1 reports that Los Angeles Police Department cadets offer overwhelmingly positive assessments of the use of presence-evoking virtual reality in their training. See the V-Armed website for more information about the form and content of the training; the website’s Press page features links to many print and video news reports. –Matthew]
LAPD survey finds cadets rated VR training ‘excellent,’ want more
The V-Armed training has been in use at the department since 2022, and trains cadets in situations surrounding de-escalation, mental health and use of force
By Joanna Putman, Police1
March 7, 2024
LOS ANGELES — The LAPD has announced results from a survey of more than 700 trainees who used its virtual reality training programs, according to a news release from V-Armed.
The results show that 94% of the trainees who completed full- or partial-day virtual reality training in the V-Armed training system at the LAPD Elysian Park Academy marked the training as excellent, leaving 6% who considered it good or average.
“I’ve taught and created training for the Los Angeles Police Department for several years, and I’ve never seen such an enthusiastic response to training,” Sergeant Jonathan Lebel said. “Several students have come to me after class to tell me it’s the best training they’ve attended. V-Armed allows my instructors to shine and impart their expertise in a way that was difficult or impossible to do previously. The students aren’t just having fun but seem to come away with valuable experiences that will serve them in the field.”
The V-Armed training has been in use at the department since 2022, and trains cadets in situations surrounding de-escalation, mental health and use of force, according to the release. The survey also offered trainees a chance to give suggestions for how training could be improved.
The most common suggestion was that the training should include more scenarios and custom locations, with 72% of respondents in agreement. Nearly 20% of respondents suggested more frequent or longer training sessions, according to the release.
“It’s clear that the response from one of the largest police departments in the nation is driving toward increasing VR training and the realism it can bring,” according to the release. “The LAPD continues to invest heavily in these methods to bring the best results and impact to officers and their communities.”