(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is among just a few agencies across the country, and the first law enforcement agency in Colorado, to utilize a state-of-the-art virtual reality simulator to train deputies.

The virtual reality simulator allows detention and patrol deputies the ability to train on critical thinking skills and de-escalation techniques in real-world scenarios through a virtual, safe, and controlled environment. Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said the realism of the training simulator makes it easier and more realistic for deputies to transition the learned techniques while on patrol or in the detention center.

“This mode of training can be used anytime and anywhere, making it more convenient for deputies to train on life scenarios and enhance their skills as they go out onto the streets or into the jail setting and encounter similar situations,” Sheriff Lucero explained.

The technology gives law enforcement the ability to see and experience different scenarios involving individuals in crisis, including those with disabilities or suffering from mental illness episodes.

“If we don’t prepare our officers for the trauma they experience, we shouldn’t be surprised when they make mistakes,” said Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General.

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Weiser believes the simulator could have prevented the death of Christian Glass on June 11, 2022, in Clear Creek County, who was shot and killed after a call for mental distress.

“The state has committed to building a virtual reality training based on that very incident to help ensure that we learn from such tragic mistakes,” Weiser explained.

The Attorney General hopes the new technology can help make deputies more empathetic by training them to take a step back and not immediately react.

“Often people refer to this as emotional intelligence,” Weiser said. “To be an effective Peace Officer, it requires not just skills like how to use a firearm, but how you use your voice.”

The cost of the virtual reality training simulator is $29,000 annually and is part of PCSO’s current contract with Axon, which provides the agency’s body-worn cameras and taser systems. The Sheriff’s Office has 10 virtual reality headsets and will begin to train all 265 deputies with this new system.

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