INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — It may be a video gaming device that’s at the top of most teenagers’ wish list, but virtual reality (VR) is being used by law enforcement agencies to hone their skills.
Dakota County Sheriff’s Office just started implementing virtual reality as part of their training earlier this year.
Two deputies work together, one controlling the scenario and the avatars, the other in VR is responding to all the unknowns.
“It does raise your blood pressure and your heart rate up a little bit, and that’s what we want in these trainings,” said Joe Leko, Dakota County Deputy Chief.
Leko says type of training does not replace what they already do, but simply enhances it, giving them a variety of scenarios to practice with.
“We can do anything from an active shooter in a mall, to going out to a city park where someone is under a mental health crisis,” said Leko.
They use fake weapons that mimic what they actually have around their belts, but the hope is to de-escalate the situation with their voice.
They also use VR to learn from real police encounters that have happened throughout the state, not just in Dakota County, like the police responses involving George Floyd, Amir Locke or Daunte Wright. They use VR to simulate those real incidents and improve response to arrive at a safe outcome.
“[We look at] areas you can find to improve or how was your reaction time? Could you have done this? Could you have done that” said Leko.
This virtual classroom gives deputies a place to continuously work on their decision making in high stress situations without real life consequences.
“We don’t go through training just to check the box, we have to get some value out of it,” said Leko.
Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is using a vendor called APEX. They are the first agency in Minnesota to use this virtual reality system.
