The Ontario-based Windsor Police Service is using Virtual Reality Mental Health Crisis Response Training program to train law enforcement trainees in de-escalation techniques such as bonding and sympathizing with people who have a certain mental health disorder. 

Once the trainees wear the VR headset, they step into a VR simulation where they find themselves in a variety of situations. For example, dealing with a patient named “Umar” who has a mental disorder. The instructors can control Umar’s level of agitation, depending on the officer’s decision. A wrong decision can make Umar aggressive and flee into traffic. 

The trainees’ performance is assessed via crisis competencies such as active listening, humanizing with the victim, thinking critically and other factors. According to an inspector, Jennifer Crosby, the full learning experiences can make trainees learn faster and improve their de-escalation skills.