The results will be presented in September 2022 in Quebec.
In what has become known as the “Mesa Study” (conducted in Mesa, AZ), researchers (with the assistance of the Mesa Police Department – Arizona and Hillsboro Police Department – Oregon) observed 56 police officers responding to a 5–7-minute training scenario. This realistic scenario involved a simulated automobile crash that evolved into a critical incident after the officers’ emergency response and attempted intervention.
Participant officers wore heart rate monitors, body cameras, and specialized glasses that tracked their eye movements.
Force Science
With these specialized glasses, researchers were able to document what officers were looking at (i.e., potential threats, witnesses and involved participants, vehicles, distractors, etc.) and measured where and the duration and relevance of the officers’ fixation (when they looked and how relevant was the information at which they were looking).