NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A woman embraces her child in worry.
She hears something strange outside their hotel window. It’s a man holding a baseball bat and mumbling indiscernibly as he paces in the parking lot.
They are worried for themselves and the stranger, and phone law enforcement.
“This technology is very helpful, especially if you’re new on the job. It shows you what you may encounter in a live situation and what you can do to better prepare yourself.”Pennsylvania State Trooper Nicholas Uva
When state troopers arrive, they are not immediately certain what they’ve encountered. Why is he talking to himself? Why is he swinging a baseball bat? Does he have another weapon on him?
The troopers position themselves and begin questioning the man. They quickly learn from him he is schizophrenic and is holding the bat “to make sure the voices go away.”
Applying training methods, they persuade the man to set down the bat. They learn he is on medication for his mental condition. They obtain his identification. They calm him and alert the proper agencies to assist the man.
The situation is diffused.
Pennsylvania State Troopers Pawel Jelski and Nicholas Uva of Troop M in Bethlehem then removed their virtual reality police training simulator headgear and shared the benefits of such technology.
The troopers, municipal police officers and members of the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office took part in the training over two days this week at the Jane Scheller-Wayne Woodman Community Service Center at Lehigh Carbon Community College.
The training was offered Tuesday and Wednesday and taught by the Use of Force Unit from the Pennsylvania State Police’s Bureau of Training and Education.
“This technology is very helpful, especially if you’re new on the job,” Trooper Uva said. “It shows you what you may encounter in a live situation and what you can do to better prepare yourself.”
Practice critical skills
Virtual reality, or VR, simulator training offers law enforcement immersive, realistic and safe environments to practice critical skills, improve decision-making and learn de-escalation techniques without real-world consequences, officials said.
The technology provides personalized, repeatable scenarios that can be customized by instructors and offer valuable data for performance analysis and post-training review, they said.
Benefits include improved officer preparedness, enhanced mental health response training and potential long-term cost savings by reducing the need for physical resources like ammunition and extensive training facilities, they said.
Sgt. Nicholas DeRea, VR training coordinator for the Northeast CounterDrug Training Center in Annville, Lebanon County, sat at a table before three laptop screens and other software from InVeris, a virtual reality weapons training company.
In each of the four scenarios the troopers confronted, DeRea voiced the role of the person of interest, a software-generated avatar shown on the screen.
At the conclusion of each scenario, the troopers shared their feelings on the effectiveness of the VR system and also were evaluated on how they handled each situation.
'The scenario is so real'
The software costs $200,000 and is federally funded through Congress, DeRea said.
“The response has been incredibly positive,” said Sgt. Brian Cipko from the State Police Academy Use of Force Section.
“Every single person — including myself, doing this yesterday, for the first time — everybody that takes the headset off says we should have more of this training.
“It's just that the scenario is so real. When you have the headset on, it’s to the point where you actually feel yourself stepping over curbs, leaning into vehicles. It’s that realistic.”
“Any kind of use of force or de-escalation training officers and troopers can receive is beneficial, regardless if it’s virtual or in a reality setting.”Troop M Public Information Office Trooper Nathan T. Branosky
The program helps law enforcement better address situations such as mere encounters, investigative detention and arrests.
In one virtual situation, the troopers pursued a motorist who was speeding. The vehicle fled and crashed into a telephone pole down an alley.
The troopers drew their virtual handguns and ordered the driver to exit the vehicle. They learned he fled because he had a suspended driver’s license and had a warrant out for his arrest.
“Any kind of use of force or de-escalation training officers and troopers can receive is beneficial, regardless if it’s virtual or in a reality setting,” Troop M Public Information Office Trooper Nathan T. Branosky said.
“In this kind of scenario, officers will encounter situations where forces need to be utilized — or their mere presence, or their verbal de-escalation can be utilized.
"Then our Use of Force Section from the state police academy will back-brief them afterward about what they did right, what they did wrong and what they could have done better.”
