The Greater Manchester Police has begun rolling out a new virtual reality (VR) programme aimed at tackling hate crime, UK media reported on Wednesday.
Police will begin training with Mother Mountain Production’s new Affinity module, which began rolling out the mobile in the Spring this year, with Oculus headsets to empathise with hate crime victims based on disability, antisemitism, and gender-based hate crime scenarios.
Additional video intros for trainers include stories from actual victims faced with hate crimes, with the module later placing users in the victims’ situation, complete with physical features and disabilities.
See how we are using virtual reality as part of frontline officer training in how to deal with hate crime: https://t.co/RpnGAvFJjQ
We have spoken to real victims and re-enacted real incidents, allowing officers to stand in the shoes of someone subjected to a hate crime. pic.twitter.com/yjwt49sdzF
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 18, 2021
GMP said in a statement the trainer would facilitate greater knowledge and empathy towards victims as well as cultivate skills to respond to hate crimes.
The module works in line with the GMP’s 2018-21 Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy aimed at tackling related offences in one of Britain’s most ethnically and culturally diverse regions.
The joint venture received guidance and feedback on the modules from partner organisations, including The Proud Trust, The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Trans Forum, The Campaign against Antisemitism, and the Community Safety Trust.
Chris Sykes, GMP Assistant Chief Constable, said his organisation’s aim was to “make Greater Manchester a safe and pleasant place to live, work and visit,” regardless of background or identity.
Speaking further, he said the impact of hate crime on victims were “wide-ranging and life-changing”, and many were underreported.
The new training modules would allow officers to empathise and understand victims to “ensure that we take the correct actions” when dealing with such incidences to support and treat victims with respect, Sykes said, adding: “there is no room for hate or discrimination in our vibrant and diverse city.”
She continued, stating:
“We are fully committed to investing in our officers and ensuring they are equipped with the skills they need to deal with incidents with confidence and understanding. This pioneering new way of training gives our officers a new perspective on hate crime, allowing us to give an improved level of service to the public, one which is truly victim focussed”
The news follows similar training modules developed by New York-based Moth+Flame, who began deploying its sexual assault prevention and response trainer for use with the United States Air Force, which has been hailed as an effective solution for tackling such criminal situations in the military.
