The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is using VR headsets to create a virtual version of its crime centers, where police monitor surveillance data in real time.
By Thomas Brewster, Forbes Staff
Bolice departments in California have begun testing Apple’s mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, which they plan to use to view surveillance feeds, access law enforcement databases and chase suspected crimes.
Last month, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department demoed Apple Vision Pro, the agency’s new unit that integrates all kinds of data, from license plate reads to mobile phone locations, to add capabilities to its real-time operations center. Historical criminal records. Typically, this data is displayed on large dashboards across multiple screens.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department CIO Dave Fontneau said Forbes He used the headset to remotely access a virtual version of that real-time crime center, from which he could view maps and police databases, and then do things like dispatch officers to a location. This will one day eliminate the need for expensive, centralized real-time crime centers with countless screens to display data, Fontneau said.
Earlier, police often used virtual reality headsets for training, allowing police to experience simulations of dangerous situations before facing anything in real life. Now, with the help of Apple’s technology, police are aiming to turn VR into a surveillance tool that allows officers to access surveillance from anywhere.
Sales of Apple’s Vision Pro could get a boost from a police community hungry for powerful new technology, even if the $3,499 price tag is steep for cash-strapped cops. Analyst firm IDC said Apple has shipped about 200,000 Vision Pros so far this year, and estimates Apple made $700 million in revenue from the devices in the first half of 2024. The overall value of the VR headset market reached $1 billion in the US during that period. , Apple’s tech-driven growth grew 68.9% from $0.6 billion. IDC estimates that 36% of market sales are to commercial enterprises, although it does not break down sectors for non-consumer shipments. Meanwhile, the U.S. spends more than $100 billion on policing each year, according to the Vera Institute and the Urban Institute, nonprofits that track U.S. police funding. An increasing share of that spending is going toward technology.
Apple’s tool is a natural fit for real-time crime monitoring centers, Fontneau said. “I was able to put on the headset and transport myself into the environment and manipulate different aspects,” Fontneau said. “I was able to manipulate maps, grow them into a 3D environment, move assets, place officers in vehicles and manipulate camera feeds. It was eye opening.
“I’ve never worn those Apple Vision glasses, but it was very intuitive. With just a few instructions, I could manipulate and navigate a mockup of a city and immerse myself in that augmented reality.
He said the device is currently too heavy for officers on the street to use headsets, but Apple is already working on a lighter version. Once that’s done, it’s possible to use Vision Pro’s augmented reality features to learn more about their location, such as crime rates or recent illegal activity in a given neighborhood.
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 company 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 considering deploying iOS — effectively Apple CarPlay — to the vehicle’s built-in display as an alternative to clunky PCs in police cars. “Apple’s interface with the public safety community is good,” 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 confirmed that $20,000 will be spent on five Apple Vision Pros for the LAPD, which it hopes will be useful for “enhanced surveillance and monitoring,” as investigative journalist Joey Scott tweeted. Augmented reality overlays could provide officers with critical information through live video feeds or maps, such as license plate reader data, while 3D visualizations of surveillance feeds could help investigators “quickly identify patterns, correlations and anomalies that indicate criminal activity.” (The LAPD did not respond to requests for comment.)
“This enhanced situational awareness can improve decision-making, response time and overall officer safety,” Vice President John McMahon wrote in a proposal for the Vision Pro deployment. “We plan to explore the possibilities associated with future hands-free operations…This hands-free operation will give officers the means to focus on their surroundings and potential threats while accessing critical data and resources.”
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