Morehouse College partnered with Google to create a virtual platform to help train law enforcement in de-escalation tactics in a realistic environment. 

Google’s Jigsaw is developing new technology with the aim of training police through a virtual lens, and they enlisted Morehouse College’s National Training Institute on Race and Equity as well as the school’s Culturally Relevant Computing Lab.  

Google Jigsaw’s new platform, called Trainer, will place law officers in various virtual reality situations to teach them de-escalation skills. 

In a statement from Morehouse, professor Bryant Marks expressed his excitement for the opportunity and the possibilities having this technology can give to communities. 

“We are excited about this technology because immersive experiences have been shown to have a profound impact on thinking and behavior,” Marks said. “This technology, in combination with strong anti-bias training, not only has the potential to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in policing but also enhance the life outcomes of historically marginalized groups in many other areas.” 

The hope is that the new technology will allow law enforcement to experience what it is like to walk a day in the shoes of community members. 

Morehouse’s Culturally Relevant Computing Lab and the National Training Institute on Race and Equity aim to help officers develop a deeper sense of empathy towards the Black community and use their data to assess officer performance and strengthen anti-bias.