At least 10,000 police officers will be better equipped to handle high-risk family violence scenarios thanks to world-first virtual reality training that immerses them in real-life emergencies.
The cutting-edge program comes as police respond to a family violence matter every two minutes on average in Australia.
Exclusive access to revolutionary training
7NEWS was given exclusive access to the revolutionary training, which uses VR headsets to walk officers through actual family violence emergencies before they face them in the field.
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Scott Lee was among those participating in the immersive training sessions, which recreate real cases using 360-degree video technology.
“We’re responding to an incident that’s been called in to triple-0,” he explained. “You’re in the house. You are genuinely talking to that victim survivor.”
Critical timing for training
The training couldn’t come at a more critical time. Last financial year, police recorded almost 100,000 family or domestic violence offenders, a sharp jump from the previous year.
The figures show a steady climb across the last five years, with more than 400 offenders in every 100,000 people aged 10 and above.
“It’s massive. It’s getting worse,” Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland also took part in the training, describing it as “virtually stimulating and immersive, but also incredibly confronting.”
ACT Police Minister Marisa Paterson concurred. “It’s amazing, groundbreaking training,” she said.
Distressing nature of training
7NEWS was asked not to record sound during the classes and was only shown select segments of the training material due to its often distressing nature, as it draws from past real-world cases.
The program allows officers to confront the realities of family violence first in a classroom setting before they face it in a home, better preparing them to protect victims in threatening situations.
