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HOW VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY IS BEING IMPLEMENTED TO DE-ESCALATE INCIDENTS  

 Empathy Training Technology within Law Enforcement Can Help Increase Public Safety    

LUKE LARSON

President, Axon; former Marine Corps officer, recipient of Bronze Star  

Throughout the country, the rethinking of police training is a critically important topic that needs immediate action.  A new perspective on de-escalation by incorporating community engagement training for law enforcement is key to positive change.   

Through the use of breakthrough Virtual Reality technology, law enforcement can learn a new perspective on community engagement due to VR’s immersive nature, which can supercharge memory and empathy.  Community engagement training focuses on situational learning and de-escalation tactics which train officers how to act in ways that result in mutually beneficial outcomes for all involved.  The latest VR modules can show a scenario playing out from two perspectives — one is the perspective of the officer responding to the call, and the other is the perspective of the community member experiencing the distress.  This is vitally important, because it teaches empathy, and empathy is the best way to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome and increase public safety. 

DID YOU KNOW?

• A study from Miami Children’s Hospital showed that VR training has an 80% retention rate one full year after training, compared to just 20% after one week with traditional training.  
• A separate study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that users trained with VR were up to 275% more confident in using what they’d learned after training compared to classroom and online learning. 
• Neuroscience has proven that the activity that happens in your brain when you’re experiencing a 360° video using VR goggles is the same type of brain response that happens when you are in a new place.  

On May 13, Luke Larson will be available to share details on how the VR Simulator can prepare officers for real-world scenarios in a way that encourages critical thinking, de-escalation and empathy, tactical and officer preparedness. He can also discuss additional empathy training modules focusing on autism, suicide prevention, Alzheimer’s and post-traumatic stress syndrome.  

For more information please visit: axon.com  

More About Luke Larson: 

As President of Axon, Luke is responsible for leading the company’s day-to-day operations. Luke joined Axon in 2008, becoming President in April 2015. Prior to joining Axon, Luke served two tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer and was awarded the Bronze star with V for valor on his first tour. Luke graduated from University of Arizona and has an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management.