The Police Drone VR Experiment

In this first of its kind experiment we study how people, recruited at scale using the online platform Steam, experience drone policing.

Police face the challenge not just of reducing crime, but also of securing public trust & confidence. Without public support, policing becomes untenable. People who do not trust police will not report crimes, assist officers, or come forward to provide information.

Why do people trust or distrust police? What types of police activity promote trust, and what undermines it? What can police do to repair broken trust? What happens when police do things differently?

This last question is particularly salient when police are rapidly embracing new technologies. But we do not know whether new policing tools such as facial recognition, drones or AI will enhance or damage public trust.

Working collaboratively with Enosis VR, a Los Angeles based company, this high-spec immersive VR experience puts people in immersive situations in which they can ‘experience’ being policed in controlled but realistic conditions. The experiment systematically manipulates the type of experience people receive and how they are treated by a remote form of policing delivered by a machine.

Social science is best placed to study these issues. Experimental studies using virtual reality are an innovative way to produce findings for the good of society. Our findings will allow us to draw vital lessons for policing. They will have particular relevance for all those interested in how new policing technologies may be received by the public, and what implications such developments will have for trust, legitimacy and policing by consent.