Police lethal force errors and stress physiology during video and live evaluation simulations

Abstract

Police officers are regularly evaluated for their competency in a variety of skills related to use of force (UOF), including lethal force decision-making, which is usually tested using stressful reality-based scenarios in virtual or live formats. The current observational study fills a literature gap by examining performance (i.e., shoot/no-shoot errors) and stress physiology among 187 police officers during virtual (i.e., video-based) and live UOF scenarios as part of their agency’s annual requalification assessment. While moderately low rates of lethal force errors we e observed overall, there were significantly fewer errors in live (0.81%) versus video scenarios (5.92%). Both conditions elicited significant stress physiology, as measured by heart rate (HR) relative to rest, with higher maximum heart rate in live scenarios. Based on emerging empirical literature and the current findings, we contribute to the discussion on the practical benefits and limitations of video and live simulation approaches in policing. We also provide evidence-based recommendations on how each approach may be most effectively employed for the purpose of evaluating police officers’ UOF skills.