Police Test Apple Vision Pro For Trial Use
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is testing VR headsets to create a model for its crime centers, where police monitor surveillance data in real time.
By Thomas Brewster, Forbes Staff
QPolice departments in California have begun testing Apple’s hybrid headset, Vision Pro, which they plan to use for surveillance, law enforcement and law enforcement. of questionable legality.
Last month, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department dropped Apple Vision Pro as it sought to add capabilities to the Real Time Operations Center, a new hub within the agency that integrates all kinds of data, from license plate to cell phone locations to criminal history records. Typically, this data is viewed on large dashboards on multiple screens.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department CIO Dave Fontneau said Forbes that he used the headset to get a kind of remote real-time crime scene, where he could see maps and police databases, and then do things like dispatch officers to the scene. This could, one day, eliminate the need for expensive, centralized real-time crime centers with multiple screens to display data, Fontneau said.
In the past, police have mostly used virtual reality headsets for training, allowing police officers to see examples of dangerous situations before facing anything in real life. Now, with the help of Apple technology, the police intend to turn VR into a surveillance tool, allowing officers to access surveillance from anywhere.
Sales of Apple’s Vision Pro could be boosted by a police community hungry for powerful new technology, though the $3,499 price tag is a lot for cash-strapped cops. Analyst firm IDC said that Apple has shipped nearly 200,000 Vision Pros so far this year, and estimates that Apple made $700 million from the devices in the first half of 2024. The total price of ‘ the VR headset market reached $1 billion in the US during that time. , up 68.9% from $0.6 billion, growth driven by Apple technology. IDC said that 36% of the market’s sales were in business organizations, although it does not break out the non-consumer shipping segments. Meanwhile, according to the Vera Center and the Urban Institute, non-profit organizations that track US police spending, America continues to spend more than $100 billion each year on policing. . It is possible that an increasing share of spending is directed towards technology.
Fontneau said Apple’s device was a natural fit for real-time crime analysis centers. “I was able to put on a headset and navigate the environment and control different parts,” Fontneau said. cars and managing the camera supply. It was an eye opener.
“I wouldn’t wear the Apple Vision glasses, but it was very easy. With just a few commands, I could control and navigate through the cityscape, and I could to place oneself within that increasing reality.”
He said that the device was currently too heavy for street officers to use headsets, but he was told by Apple that the company was already working on a lighter version. Once that’s done, it’s possible for police officers to use Vision Pro’s virtual reality features to learn more about their area, such as crime rates or recent illegal activities in a certain area.
Fontneau said he was invited to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino for a training day, where he and his staff will learn more about how his agency can use Vision Pros for police. He said the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is already working closely with Apple on several projects and is in discussions about deploying Apple CarPlay — effectively iOS for the built-in display in the car — as a replacement for PCs. sloppy in police cars. “Apple works very well with the public safety community,” Fontneau added.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
Orange County isn’t the first police agency to experiment with Apple’s virtual reality headset. The Los Angeles Police Foundation has confirmed $20,000 to be spent on five Apple Vision Pros for the LAPD, which it hoped would be useful for “self-improvement and surveillance” according to investigative journalist Joey Scott . Augmented reality features can present officers with valuable information on video feeds or maps, such as license plate reader data, the LAPD said, while 3D visualizations of target feeds can help analysts “quickly identifying patterns, connections and errors that may indicate criminal activity.” (The LAPD did not respond to requests for comment.)
“This enhanced situational awareness can improve decision-making, response times and overall officer safety,” wrote deputy chief John McMahon in a proposal for the Vision pro deployment. “We plan to investigate the capabilities associated with future hands-free operations… These hands-free operations can provide ways for officers to stay focused on their surroundings and threats potential as they access valuable information and resources.”
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