Was sent to me, to look at. Decided to post although the research is a bit dated.

Use-of-Force simulators have proven to be a valuable tool to Law Enforcement officers around the globe. Several studies have been conducted to research the effectiveness of laser based simulation training. Below are a few studies that have significantly impacted views on the usefulness of simulators in law enforcement training.
Boyd’s doctoral research (1992) was a four month long study using 207 California Peace Officers to compare the perceived value of simulation training versus other common methodologies. A 33 question training effectiveness assessment was given after each segment of the study. The findings showed that 90% of participants felt that simulation training improved their judgment skills & confidence in their use-of- force decision making skills. Simulation training was ranked by 88.4% as one of the top 3 components of training and it was ranked number 1 more than any other of the methods including range practice, instructor knowledge, classroom activities, and handouts.
Helen & Starkes study (1999) consisted of 4 groups of six police officers ages 19-24 to assess the effect video based simulator training has on improving the judgment and decision making of officers in various situations. The four groups were labeled into 4 different training areas including the following:
Group 1: Classic Training: Focus on shooting precision with stationary pop-up targets
Group 2: Decision training with slides: Focus on use-of-force decision-making with sequentially presented slides based on a representative sample of law enforcement scenarios (e.g., apprehending suspects).
Group 3: Decision training with video: Focus on use-of force decision-making with acted out motion picture simulation at authentic locations (e.g., parking lots) based on the same scenarios selected in 2.
Group 4: Combination of slide and video training
Before the training each group was given a pre-assessment to gauge their skill level before the training assigned by group type. The groups were then given 10 hours of training. Two hours of this training was dedicated to theoretical training and the other 8 hours were dedicated to use-of force decision making using the training technique as assigned by group. The participants were then evaluated by the instructor and four weeks later took a final post test. The students were graded in the areas of preventative actions the officers took in an attempt to deescalate the situation, number of shots fired before or after the predetermined legal window, shooting performance, and cognitive processes during performance were measured by tracking both number and length of visual fixations. According to Helen and Starkes (1999), accurate and rapid visual processing is fundamental to: (1) the expedient identification of the suspect, and (2) the assessment of potential weapon possession. In the pretest the numbers of preventative actions were approximately equal. Post test, the group using only Video Training did 600% better in the area of preventative actions. This group
showed approximately 200% more improvement than any of the other training groups. The study also showed that visual fixations for the video training group were more rapid and frequent in comparison to the other groups.
Scharr (2001) was an investigation done to determine the effectiveness of Firearms Training Simulators using 36 probation officers. The officers were trained and evaluated using the system and were given assessments after the training. 86% of the participants agreed that the system positively affected their ability to apply effective decision making skills in dangerous situations. The investigation stated that both numerical and written responses suggested that the Firearms Training simulation training reinforced awareness of the ambiguity and hence, the complexity of use-of-force decision-making. 97% of officers reported that overall training was effective at least to "a great extent". (Scharr, 2001)
Eastern Kentucky University’s Justice & Safety Center did the most comprehensive study of use-of-force simulation using a mobile firearms training simulator testing for four categories including Accuracy (Percentage of rounds that hit the intended target, number of shots fired, etc), Tactics (Proper identification of suspect, use of cover, etc), Judgment (Appropriate use-of-force), and Safety (Proper indexing of trigger, keeping weapon operational, etc.) Each of the 181 officers participated in 3 one hour sessions using a scenario based program. In the area of accuracy the shooting accuracy increased by 31.6% and the number of shots fired decreased 50% from Session 1 to Session 3. In the Tactics portion the simulator was determined to be effective for use of cover training. In the area of Judgment a marked improvement was observed across all three training sessions in terms of whether or not officers discharged their weapons without justification. The Safety portion showed a decrease in the participants’ tendency to point their weapon outside the firing line. At the conclusion of the study 96% of officers indicated that as a result of training, they felt better prepared to deal with future lethal force incidents.