From simulations to real-world operations: Virtual reality training for reducing racialized police violence

Abstract

Racialized police violence is a devastating reality that has gained particular notoriety in the United States. As I-O psychologists, we have a unique position that can contribute to society ’ s collective responsibility to address this violence and prevent it from occurring in the future. As discussed in their focal article, Dhanani et al. (2022) posit that one opportunity for the field to have an impact is through training. In this commentary, we propose that an understudied and underutilized modality for training in police academies is virtual reality (VR); further, we highlight that VR can poten-tially be a more effective way of preparing police for the demands they face in the field. Although by no means should training be considered the only solution, we are optimistic that the positive attributes associated with training in VR will have a positive impact on both policing and the communities they serve.