Abstract
Police officers strongly rely on their ability to visually perceive threats accurately and quickly on a daily basis. Previous studies have shown that training and practical experience improve performance in life-threatening encounters. The present study compared the gaze patterns of highly trained police officers of a tactical unit (TU) to matched patrol officers (MP) and unmatched patrol officers (UP) in realistic video scenarios using a mobile eye tracker and a USB arcade gun. As hypothesized, the TU fixated the tactically crucial hands and hip region of a suspect significantly longer than the MP and UP. Vice versa, the MP and UP fixated the suspect’s face significantly longer than the TU. The results indicate that tactical training enhances efficient gaze control to a greater extent than practical routine. Therefore, the authors recommend regular training and education on this topic for law enforcement personnel to minimize the risk of death or severe injuries in high-stress situations.
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