The Joliet Police Department is pleased to offer our "Battle Buddy" program to veterans & active members of the military in the City of Joliet. The program includes a select group of Joliet Police Officers who have served in all branches of the military and, when/if available, will be dispatched to calls for despondent and/or suicidal veterans & active military members. Currently, there are ~27 JPD sworn personnel in the program (ranging in rank from Officer to Deputy Chief), all who have volunteered and have taken critical incident crisis intervention training. 

Battle Buddy Officers are a resource that veterans & active military members can talk to, utilize for resources like providing crisis intervention, and get information for services (other than the VA Hospital) that military members can use for further assistance.  The goal is to further connect with a veteran before a crisis occurs, but also work with them after a negative event in their lives to reduce recidivism.