N.J. Burkett got an exclusive, hands-on demonstration of the VR training program.
ByN.J. Burkett
Monday, October 26, 2026 8:28PM
COLLEGE POINT, Queens (WABC) –The NYPD is launching a new virtual reality training program designed to help officers practice responding to a wide range of scenarios, including active shooter situations, encounters with armed suspects and incidents involving people in crisis.
Using virtual reality headsets, officers can train in simulated environments that allow them and their instructors to review their decisions, including what actions they took, when they took them and why.
Some of the scenarios that Eyewitness News got a look at included a confrontation with an active shooter in a school, and a man with a gun in a New York City apartment. Both of those training demonstrations featured virtual suspects and victims in realistic scenarios.
Inspector Bryan Natale of the NYPD’s In-service Training unit said the program helps officers experience stress in a controlled setting.
“So that’s my favorite part about scenario-based training, right, is getting the adrenaline going and having the officers practice this while they’re stressed,” Natale said.
The program is part of a comprehensive retraining initiative led by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Asked whether a specific event prompted the effort, Tisch said the department’s training model needed to evolve.
“You know, we ask our officers at the NYPD to respond to increasingly complicated situations with very little recurring training after they exit the academy. The fact is, the laws change; the situation changes at the NYPD. The basic recurring training that we’ve offered to our officers hasn’t kept pace,” Tisch said.
The first group of the department’s 26,000 officers will begin the program this week. The weeklong training includes CPR instruction and scenario-based first aid training.
Tisch said the department updated its training to reflect changes in technology and emerging threats, adding that officers must be prepared for a variety of situations.
Asked what has changed, Tisch pointed to mental health-related calls.
“So, a great example is the mental health crisis. And there is a bunch spread across many parts of this week-long training that addresses that, how you identify someone who is in crisis. What are the verbal and some of the nonverbal cues of escalation? How do you de-escalate those types of situations, and what are safe tactics that you can use in those circumstances?” Tisch said.
The department says the training is intended to give officers recurring opportunities to practice decision-making skills in realistic scenarios while preparing them for challenges they may encounter in the field.
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