Chapter 1 10 in VR as a training tool. However, there are currently no common training standards or other points of reference for successful and effective implementation and application of VR training for police. The implementation of VR training refers to the improvement of current training practices through the integration of VR into existing training frameworks. The application of VR training refers to the delivery and use of VR as a training tool to enhance training and learning of police officers. For VR training to be useful for police practice, evidence-based standards guiding the implementation and application should be developed. The implementation and application of a training technology such as VR relies on identifying the necessity for such a technology and whether the technology contributes to the effectiveness (and possibly the efficiency) of training. Therefore, this thesis sets out to answer two questions: • How can VR training improve and supplement current police training practices? • How can VR training be applied to enhance the training and learning experience of police officers? This thesis focuses specifically on the use of VR for the simulation of stressful and high-risk settings. Within these settings, this thesis explores the training of perceptual-motor skills of police officers such as decision-making and acting. VR provides a training tool that combines a broad range of environments with the opportunity for police officers to safely and repeatedly perform a variety of skills which is seldomly possible in real-life training. By investigating the implementation (i.e., the improvement of current training practices with the supplement of VR) and the application (i.e., the use of VR to enhance training and learning) of VR training in police, this thesis aims to provide evidence-based guidance on how VR can advance current training practices that prepare police officers for stressful and high-risk on-duty incidents. Implementation of VR The implementation of VR in police training depends on the organizational context, the available resources (e.g., training time, personnel, training budget) and the benefit of VR over current training practices. Implementation, then, refers to the integration of VR as a training technology into existing training curricula and structures of the police agency. As police training (particularly the content, frequency, and duration of training) differ between police agencies (Marenin, 2004), the way in which VR can be integrated may also differ. Hence, an overview of current training practices may provide insights into training areas in which police agencies share common obstacles that developments in VR may be able to resolve.
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