Virtual Training, Real Mistakes: 5 Common Simulator Training Errors, and How to Avoid Them. The following article has been written by Jamie Blume. It includes editorial content which is the opinion and story of the writer.
Virtual reality use of force training simulators are an effective, modern police training tool.
Like any tool, there are right and wrong ways to use simulators. This article outlines five bad habits that officers may develop when improperly using simulators.
- Hesitation to physically control a suspect
- Tool dependency
- Degradation of weapon manipulation skills
- Failure to move
- Tunnel Vision
Realistic expectations are important when considering a simulator for use of force training. Simulators are excellent for two things in particular; honing decision-making skills and supplying a variety of pre-existing mental templates for scenarios that officers may encounter. Simulators let us use de-escalation techniques. They can make it easy to conduct routine use of force training. They can add another layer of depth to an agency’s existing training program.
Those are some of the benefits to virtual reality training, but here’s what to avoid when using them.
- Hesitation to gain physical control of a suspect
Misuse of a simulator can instill a hesitancy to “go hands on” with a suspect, and with newer officers who have little experience with physical conflict, this can be especially problematic. This is an inherent negative with simulators as there is obviously no way to physically apprehend a subject on the screen in the simulation. One way to overcome that is to have students verbalize that they’d take control of the suspect at a particular time, note it, and tell them to continue with the scenario as if, for some reason, they were unable to physically touch the suspect.
The potential for creation of this bad habit should be verbalized to the student at the introduction to simulator training, and the student should have clear expectations for the purpose of the training so that their expectations are in line with the instructor’s.
Defensive tactics training is the solution to this problem. Officers should be engaging in routine, structured defensive tactics training through an established and reputable training program. This will give them the confidence they need to physically detain a suspect, and the more recent that training has occurred, the more proficiency they possess, it becomes less likely that they’ll respond with an inappropriate level of force.
- Tool dependency
Sometimes trainees are given only a training pistol during simulator training. Officers will begin a scenario with one way of solving a problem; a pistol. If the training is conducted to a higher standard, officers are provided with at least one (but ideally more than one) less lethal weapon; items like pepper spray, a baton, or a Taser. The issue with this is that officers are trained to solve their problems with tools, whenever they should be most apt to use and be most proficient with communication skills and physical control techniques.
To ensure that officers don’t leave their training session primed for tool dependency, an appropriate ratio of shoot/no shoot scenarios should be completed. Fewer scenarios requiring force should be used than that of scenarios requiring de-escalation or no shoot decisions. This should provide a more balanced set of expectations and prime them for duty instead of a video game.
- Degradation of weapon manipulation skills (reloads, malfunctions, marksmanship)
Good simulators use training weapons that feel and function precisely like duty weapons; their slides reciprocate, magazines release and can be reloaded just as a real pistol or rifle can, and weapons do not have a Hollywood-esque, unlimited supply of ammunition.
Often, instead of officers experiencing a problem with a weapon not working and doing what they should do – transition to another weapon or perform an immediate remedial action – a common response will be a frustrated “it’s not working.” They don’t apply abilities they’ve worked to acquire on the range because they don’t trust the simulator to accurately reflect their marksmanship and the experience essentially turns into a video game session.
Marksmanship and gun handling skills are perishable, and simulator training is not a replacement for purposeful practice with duty weapons. Officers need to ensure weapons handling during simulator training reflects live weapons handling techniques so that there is minimal inconsistency.
- Failure to seek and use cover and failure to move when necessary
Some trainees will reinforce a habit of staying stationary during scenarios. Built into that mistake is a failure to seek or use cover. Often, that’s because there’s nowhere to move to and no cover to seek. A remedy is to add cover, which can be as simple as moving an object (a barrel or a chair for example) into the simulator training room, but there is a need to emphasize movement unless it is advantageous not to move. As students engage with a subject during training, remind them to move if appropriate.
Depending on the quality of the simulator, an officer’s perspective won’t change when they move, and the officer is deprived of the “real world” benefits of moving – benefits like threat stacking, a better perspective, or concealment.
Virtual reality training systems do not accurately reflect time or distance, which trains officers on a scale of distance and time that is separate from reality. No matter how slight those differences may be, milliseconds can make the difference in lethal confrontations, and the solution is to make every effort to conduct routine, reality-based force on force training.
- Tunnel vision
Tunnel vision applies to virtual reality training systems that cover a limited space, for example, a single, two-dimensional wall. The limited scope can train officers to work within a tunnel and ignore what’s going on to their left or right flank, or what’s behind them. Newer (and more expensive) systems fix that problem by enveloping the student in an almost 360-degree environment, but it’s important to remind students to maintain situational awareness throughout their sessions and instructors can remind students to scan, look around, and breathe during and after their engagements in scenarios.
Summary
Simulators can improve officer performance, but just like any other tool we put on our belt, they can help us or hurt us. They need to be used as a supplement to an already comprehensive use of force training program – one that intertwines situational awareness, counter ambush skills, verbal de-escalation, physical control/defensive tactics, weapon manipulation skills, marksmanship, and force on force training. Training should occur in low light environments, include medical skills and post incident procedures. Finally, we need to train within a clear understanding of morality, ethics, Constitutional rights, agency policies, and legal boundaries.
Training simulators have been in use by police and military organizations for decades and they will continue to be used, but more use doesn’t necessarily mean better outcomes. As technology improves, many of the mistakes mentioned here will hopefully become less prominent. In the meantime, it is the responsibility of instructors and the agencies they work for to ensure that they continue to do the best they can with what they’ve got. Bad habits created during virtual training will mean real mistakes in the field.
Orignal Article: https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/op-ed-virtual-training-real-mistakes-5-common-simulator-training-errors-and-how-to-avoid-them/
