On top of the day-to-day demands of law enforcement, trying to get entire shifts up to speed on new guidance while juggling existing refresher training requirements further complicates the challenge. Keeping up with thousands of new laws is hard enough for an agency to manage without having to train for them. And when shifts are covered by overtime and budgets are tightened, training is often the first line item to be trimmed.

It’s easy to justify cutting or going cheap on something that doesn’t appear to produce an immediate, visible return on investment (ROI). But when you look closely, high-quality police training delivers measurable results that ripple across an agency and a community. In policing, every hour of effective training can save thousands of dollars down the line through fewer injuries, complaints, lawsuits, and resignations. More importantly, it can also save lives, both civilian and officer.

Having a training simulator is one of the best ways to deliver evidence-based police training without having to buy new equipment, curriculum, or a training facilitator every time the requirements of the job change. Those holding the checkbook may require proof—the good news is, calculating the ROI has never been easier.

 

How to Quantify Simulator ROI

Preventing costly trouble can be difficult to quantify, especially when the best outcomes are those that never make headlines. But there are practical ways to estimate the financial value of effective simulator training.

Start with measurable outcomes. A single avoided sustained citizen complaint or internal investigation can offset the cost of a simulator program for the year. The goal of training isn’t simply the absence of force. Every encounter involves another person whose behavior influences the outcome. Simulator training should be evaluated on whether the officer made reasonable decisions within the law, aligned with policy, and based on the totality of the circumstances. When officers make sound decisions under pressure, the resulting reductions in legal exposure, overtime, and administrative workload are substantial.

Agencies can also calculate improved retention, fewer stress-related absences, and reduced liability payouts as part of the return on investment. For example, an agency that invests in a simulation training program to train for just 5 minutes a week on a newly procured less-than-lethal force option might prevent multiple high-risk encounters from escalating into costly litigation or injury claims. Based on national averages for settlement and legal fees, that prevention could represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in avoided costs over time. When you consider the benefits of increased officer confidence, reduced burnout, and stronger community relations, the return becomes even clearer.

Don’t Waste Money on Incomplete or Ineffective Training Methods

Traditional lecture-based sessions have their place for policy and theory, but they rarely change behavior. For everyday skills like communication and decision-making, retention and recall matter far more than checking the box. Real-world improvement over time comes from experiential learning—training that recreates the pressure, uncertainty, and split-second decision-making of real encounters.

That’s where simulator training provides true ROI. It gives officers space to make mistakes safely, see the consequences of their choices, and practice in spaced-out increments until their responses become automatic and sound.

And when you buy a MILO training system—whether it’s live fire, immersive projection, or virtual reality—every system includes the full software license and installation, with no charge for software or content updates for the life of the system. A quick call or email to MILO’s 24/7 service support connects you directly to a real person in our Ann Arbor, Michigan headquarters—365 days a year. That means limited to no downtime cost and a partner you can count on long after delivery.

 

Why Simulators Deliver Higher ROI

Training that strengthens decision quality directly reduces costly outcomes, and simulation is where those lessons take hold. Simulator-based training accelerates learning because it engages the same mental and physiological systems that officers rely on in real-life situations. It places them in dynamic, unpredictable situations where they must apply judgment, effective communication, and tactical thinking under pressure.

Unlike classroom lectures or static video courses, simulators provide immediate, personalized feedback and focused, repetitive practice. That repetition sharpens instincts and builds confidence—skills that transfer directly to the field, where every decision carries weight. Simulators also allow students to practice articulating their decisions and explaining the thought processes behind their actions. This gives agencies valuable insight into how their personnel think and make decisions in real time. AW edit

Because the environment is controlled, every session can be documented and reviewed. That documentation has its own value: it provides a verifiable record of robust, decision-based training. When incidents occur, agencies can show clear evidence of preparation, which reinforces public confidence and strengthens legal defensibility—two elements that protect both budgets and reputations.

 

Counting the Returns You Can’t Ignore

Some benefits are easy to quantify, such as fewer citizen complaints, fewer use-of-force incidents, and fewer overtime hours spent on investigations. Others are harder to measure but equally important. Officers who feel competent and prepared are more likely to stay with their departments, perform better under stress, and represent their agencies in ways that build community trust. Over time, the cultural and operational benefits compound, creating safer teams and stronger performance across the agency.

To see a strong return, agencies need to approach training strategically. Set clear goals, whether that’s reducing use-of-force complaints, improving decision-making metrics, or building confidence among new officers. Track the outcomes. Reinforce lessons through supervision and feedback. The departments that get the most out of simulation training treat it as an ongoing process of improvement—the key difference between checking boxes and changing outcomes.