The Marshall County Sheriff's Office in Iowa plans to use virtual reality for officer training, funded by a federal grant awarded to the Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force, which includes the office alongside other law enforcement agencies. Sheriff Joel Phillips described the plan to the Marshall County Board of Supervisors, which accepted the grant at its Wednesday meeting.
The grant provides $89,610 to the task force, and the county is not required to provide a match. It runs from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027. Phillips said the equipment was paid for first and will be reimbursed once the grant funds have been transferred to the county's general fund.
How the training works
The MILO virtual reality program is scenario-based and assisted by generative artificial intelligence. It sets parameters on outcomes and reactions and suggests how officers can improve in various situations. Phillips said much of the program deals with de-escalation and conflict resolution.
Who it is for
Phillips said the office wanted a program that would help not only patrol responses but also corrections, administrative staff and crisis intervention partnerships with MPACT. He said a detective sergeant prepared the proposal that led to the full amount being funded.
