Virtual reality to help NSW police overcome gun fear

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In New South Wales, Australia, virtual reality is about to help rookie cops tame their fear of handling and using firearms in crisis situations. The costs are high (AUD 1 million for the facility and AUD 850,000 for the computer system), but the hope is that police will learn to handle their guns in settings more "true to life" than can be found in a traditional shooting range.

A lack of proper training has been blamed for the current state of affairs which has seen many new cops frightened of touching their weapons. According to one senior officer, "We have a lot of young cops who are scared of guns."

It is also believed that this inexperience can be a danger to public saftey (take the recent accidental shooting of a 48-year-old woman in Sydney by a constable with only two years on the job).

The problem started with a shortage of old-style shooting ranges and a growth in the number of new recruits. Virtual shooting ranges offer a more realistic training option, allowing police to practice with a number of different firearms in a host of scenarios.

Computer simulations are not, however, going to be used to replace traditional ranges entirely. Still, although a new traditional-style shooting range would cost less, the belief here is that virtual reality will complement already available training options and help to reduce gun fear dramatically among police.

(1 reply) #1 Jugalator on 07 Jan 2009 - 10:58

I'm not sure this will have the fully intended effect, but then again, I don't know how accurately the VR environment depicts reality. The less it does, the more *damage* this could actually do, so it's about walking a fine line here. We want cops trained to a reality, and not a virtual one, after all. Also, we want good cops with respect to their firearms, not desenitized cops. They say it won't be a full training replacement and they'll still train in reality, but it will still be a partial replacement, so some attention should IMHO still be paid to this.

#1.1 DeltaFalcon on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:32

Jugalator said,

The less it does, the more *damage* this could actually do, so it's about walking a fine line here. We want cops trained to a reality, and not a virtual one, after all. Also, we want good cops with respect to their firearms, not desenitized cops.

The New South Wales Police Force trains heavily (from what I've heard) in real world scenarios. That is: fully uniformed students (inc. appointments) attending scenarios in the college's purpose built scenario village where antagonists wearing protective gear place the students in question in a position where a firearm may/will need to be deployed. From what the news report on Ten a few months ago is indicative of what happens: they look highly stressful (that being a good thing).

If virtual reality helps overcome the fear of the firearm (or rather the fear of what consequences will result over it's use), then I'm all for it.

I will be passing through the college in 2010, and I only want that Glock 22 in one of two places while working the streets: in the holster or in the lock-up, but prepared and trained to use it if absolutely necessary.

Bring on the TASER!

#2 Mr. Black on 07 Jan 2009 - 12:04

This is nothing new. Some (I dont know how many) Departments in the USA here augment range training with these "VR" style ranges - what they are basically for, and it is what it is for when you look into the article, is to teach Shoot-Don't Shoot scenarios. They are called FATS machines, and they basically use a real gun that shoots compressed air for realistic recoil. Some work differently, but that's the basic premise behind them.

Old skool used to be Combat-style courses with Popup targets that were Shoot-Dont Shoot style (Guy with Gun, Civilian with Baby, etc.) -- the best example of this can be seen in one of the dirty Harry movies.

Nonetheless, it's good to see they are trying to do something to better prepare the officers, altough a simulator is more for proper time for shooting then removing fear - the only thing I feel that is proper for that is to take the officer to the range, explain it, let him shoot the gun and understand it so the fear is removed -- same thing you do with a kid that would like to begin shooting.

#3 DeltaFalcon on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:26

It's good to hear that the New South Wales Police Force is improving the standards of training, especially considering that one class just a while back now was around seven-eight hundred students attesting (graduating). The Ten News program on the Ten network also featured a similar story about six months back now where NSWPol borrowed some virtual simulation technology from the Australian Army for firearms training, complementing the real world training students get in "the village".

Just hope that the system is fully installed and running by January '10. Can't wait to start at Goulburn.

#4 Airlink on 07 Jan 2009 - 17:36

You're supposed to be afraid of guns. They go BANG! and can kill you.
Somone points one at your head and pulls the trigger? No more head. No more you. What's not to be afraid of?

#5 G0NADS on 07 Jan 2009 - 20:54

Please tell me how a gun can go BANG and kill you without someone holding it and making it go BANG to kill you? Why be afraid of the firearm, when the lunitic thats holding it is the one that pointed it at you in the first place. Based on your argument, a knife on its own can go SLIT and drain you of all of your lifeblood.

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