2024 was a pivotal year for police training technology. In 12 months, a wide range of emerging technology trends saw wider adoption and industry acceptance. With renewed momentum behind police technology, here's what police trainers and trainees can look forward to in the coming year.

Drones

Drones have been a growth area in law enforcement for over a decade. Agencies around the country now recognize drones' capability as a force multiplier, such as in gathering intel, search and rescue, tactical support, as a first responder, and more.
In 2024, training programs began to formalize drone usage within law enforcement. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, LEDA, and California POST all introduced drone-specific training initiatives.
As drone deployment grows, so too will the scope and scale of training programs. Some programs even emphasize a total reimagining of drone usage within law enforcement, such as Elk Grove Police Department's "Drones as First Responders" program. In 2025, officers can look forward to using drones for a broader range of situations, like barricades, apprehension of armed and dangerous fleeing suspects, high-risk search warrants, investigating scenes, suspected explosive devices, training missions, and much more.

AI for Officer Development

While AI may seem like it should top this list, concerns about privacy, bias, and the reliability of large language and machine learning models have slowed its adoption in police training technology. However, 2025 could be the year AI matures into a more reliable tool.
Future applications may include dynamically adjusting virtual training scenarios, voicing scenario characters, and automating decision-making branches. For now, AI's biggest near-term potential lies in performance analytics.
With adequate human oversight, AI models excel at crunching quantities of data that would be impossible to interpret manually. By analyzing training information like test scores, biometrics, and simulation data, AIs can intelligently help police instructors assess student performance and adjust training methodology according to need. As a result, 2025 may be the year of the AI teaching assistant and personalized learning.

Real-Time Analytics

At I/ITSEC 2024, VirTra announced the integration of APEX analytics within its simulators. APEX is a data analytics and training intelligence platform that enables instructors and decision-makers with little or no data analytics experience to quickly and easily gain actionable insights from their training data.
We can see this shift industry-wide. Training providers are hedging their bets on data-driven solutions, and it's easy to see why. These analytics tools offer unprecedented insight into training effectiveness, measuring performance, reaction times, and decision-making under pressure. Real-time analytics not only identify individual strengths and weaknesses but also provide data-backed trends across an entire group. This allows trainers to adjust programs quickly and better prepare officers for real-world scenarios without increasing budget and allocated resources.

Wearable Devices in Police Training

And what will drive these real-time analytics? We expect the training of tomorrow to be fueled in part by wearable devices. This includes equipment that monitors heart rate, body temperature, movement, and other biometrics during training sessions to benchmark performance. VirTra, Force Science, and Neurosmart demonstrated the impressive value of integrating biofeedback devices into training earlier this year.
This new generation of wearables synthesizes data to provide real-time stress and biofeedback monitoring, giving a highly granular snapshot of an officer's physical and mental state during training. When paired with an effective analytics platform, trainers can see in real-time how stress impacts their trainees' performance and, in turn, tailor their training to address managing stress more effectively.
2025 will be a significant year for wearables and biofeedback devices. We hope to see the technology trickle down to readily available options like smartwatches and smart rings, making this significant training innovation available to departments nationwide.

Effective VR Platforms

For years, VR solutions have always had drawbacks. Early adopters were starved for options. Compact headsets offered convenience but often featured disorienting user experience, low-fidelity visuals, and low-resolution displays. A mainstay in law enforcement simulation training, screen-based virtual reality solutions, have been historically limited by space and ceiling height requirements. However, in 2024, VR platforms have finally reached a tipping point.
Stationary simulation systems and AR/VR headsets now deliver convincing, immersive training experiences while maintaining user comfort. Advances in headset resolution and processing power have removed many of the issues that plagued early platforms. Multiple studies have confirmed a positive relationship between simulation fidelity, the sense of presence, and skill retention.
VirTra's V series of room-scale simulators and the new V-XR extended reality AR headset showcase the best that each platform offers. The V-300 delivers unmatched ballistic accuracy, immersion, and configurability while being more compact in recent years. And the V-XR extended reality headset is emerging as the premier de-escalation training device. These platforms offer scalable and cost-effective solutions for agencies of all sizes, making high-quality AR/VR training more accessible than ever before.

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As police training technology evolves, these five innovations promise to shape a new era of preparation for law enforcement professionals. With drones, AI, real-time analytics, wearable devices, and AR/VR platforms advancing rapidly, 2025 may prove to be the most transformative year yet for police training.