Mobile To Order VR Headsets For Police

MOBILE, Ala. — City officials in Mobile were expected to approve nearly $50,000 to purchase 10 virtual reality (VR) headsets for police training this week, AL.com reported. Intended to aid officers in encounters from people who struggle from mental illness, the headsets can simulate and practice a range of real-life scenarios, including active shooter drills or encountering people who are suicidal. “These are real-world scenarios vetted through professionals involved in the world of mental health, and it helps our officers,” said Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine. The equipment from Scottsdale, Arizona-based Axon Technologies, he added, is “designed to give our officers an opportunity to train, learn how to deal with and respond to those with mental challenges. It gives us an opportunity to do it in a virtual world and learn the best practices for dealing with those individuals before [encountering situations] in the real world.”