Joliet Police: See How Virtual Reality Training Improves Taser Use, Decision-Making

JOLIET, IL — Following the Christmas morning death of Joliet resident David Malito at the Shell gas station on Larkin Avenue, there was harsh criticism directed at the Joliet Police Department by members of Malito's family and friends, suggesting his death could have been prevented if the responding officers had more training.

In reality, the Joliet Police Department explained that its officers are regularly undergoing some of the most advanced levels of modernized training available thanks to the agency's partnership with Axon, the company that also provides Joliet police with its body camera equipment.

Once per month, Joliet police officers typically undergo virtual reality training, according to Deputy Police Chief Chris Botzum, Lt. Moises Avila and Officer Bob Klancher, who help oversee Axon's VR program.

In recent weeks, Joliet Police invited Joliet Patch's editor to undergo more than an hour of VR training to experience firsthand what types of scenarios and encounters the Joliet police force is facing during their own once-per-month VR training at the downtown police station.

"We were among the first agencies to receive the VR headset. Recognizing its potential, we incorporated VR into our training to ensure officers had frequent, realistic exposure to high-stress situations," Botzum pointed out.

The Taser training program through the VR headset allows the Joliet police to practice their taser use and improve their split-second decision-making process when facing a highly irrational or combative person. A key goal of the training is to help Joliet police officers become better at their de-escalation techniques.

In some of the VR training scenarios, the best solution is to simply listen to the despondent person or person suffering bipolar disorder and offer to help them in a comforting, non-arrest situation.

But for other more hostile confrontations, the officer encounters an agitated person who steps out of their vehicle following a traffic stop and maintains they are a sovereign citizen.

The VR training also presents Joliet police officers with a scenario responding to a 911 call involving an active shooter inside a building.

When a person emerges from the building, the officer must make a snap decision whether to deploy their taser, use their handgun or hold off the use of any weapons and holler commands at the suspect in hopes of a peaceful surrender.

The VR training is quite sophisticated. Even the VR criminal suspects can be fitted to wear extra heavy clothing including sweaters and heavy winter coats. The officers undergoing the VR taser training must make snap decisions where to aim and fire their taser. Shooting in the wrong area could lead to the officer be overpowered by the rapidly approaching suspect.

According to Joliet police, the Axon Virtual Reality program has saved the city $384,000 in that the police department was able to fire more than 16,000 virtual probes instead of real live cartridges at a shooting range.

In years past, Joliet's officers might undergo such training once a year, these days, Joliet police aim to offer the VR training on a month basis.

"Axon VR has modernized our training program and given officers the tools they need to succeed," Botzum remarked. "We're excited to see how this technology continues to evolve."