Case Study: Joliet Police Department achieves modernized training and improved TASER 10 proficiency with Axon VR

How Joliet PD modernized training with Axon VR

The Joliet Police Department, serving nearly 300 officers in Illinois’ third-largest city, struggled with limited hands-on training due to scheduling, overtime and resource constraints—especially during its transition from TASER 7 to the TASER 10, which required new muscle memory and more frequent practice than the department’s typical once-a-year live-fire training allowed. To address these gaps, Joliet PD turned to Axon and its Axon VR training suite, including Community Engagement Training (CET) and Simulator Training (Range Skills and vRBT).

Axon implemented immersive VR scenarios department-wide with dedicated VR trainers assigned to every patrol shift, allowing monthly, on-site training in roll-call rooms using controllers that replicate the TASER 10 and duty handgun. The result: officers now train 12x more frequently (monthly vs. yearly), have fired over 16,000 virtual probes (training that would have cost about $384,000 in live cartridges), and show measurable gains in TASER 10 proficiency, faster decision-making, improved accuracy in the field, stronger de-escalation and report-writing skills, and enhanced community engagement—outcomes Joliet PD attributes directly to Axon’s VR program.

Joliet Police Department

Christopher Botzum

Deputy Chief