New state police troopers commissioned
The Illinois State Police commissioned new troopers at graduation ceremonies during December.
Cadet Class 139
The state commissioned 49 new troopers on Dec. 22 from Cadet Class 139 at a graduation ceremony at the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield.
The total number of ISP troopers added since 2019 now stands at 417.
The new troopers were scheduled to report to 15 Illinois State Police patrol districts throughout the state on Monday, Dec. 26, and immediately began their patrol duties.
Among the assignments for the graduates were:
One of the cadets was assigned Illinois State Police District 22 at Ullin. Three cadets were assigned to District 13 at Du Quoin.
One cadet was assigned to District 19 at Carmi and one to District 12 at Effingham.
Cadet Class 139 was a Lateral Entry Training Program, LETP, class.
To be eligible for LETP, applicants must be a certified police officer having graduated from an accredited law enforcement academy and have at least two years of experience while employed as a full-time sworn police officer.
LETP focuses on recruitment of current law enforcement officers to expedite the number of sworn Troopers, which will provide increased safety to the citizens of Illinois.
The 49 newest troopers have completed a demanding 11-week program of physical and classroom instruction.
In addition to the 11-week academy training, troopers are required to participate in one-on-one mentoring with field training officers as part of a 14-week field training program, expanding their total training to 25 weeks.
Troopers who successfully complete the field training program advance to solo-patrol status.
LETP condenses in-person training at the academy for prior law enforcement officers to five weeks with no more than three weeks in a row in person.
The cadets report to the academy for the first three weeks of the basic training program for an introduction into ISP cadet life.
The cadets then complete training at regional locations across the state with the ability to return to their residence at the end of each workday.
Cadets are required to return to the academy for specific trainings such as the emergency vehicle operations course.
Additionally, cadets graduating through the lateral program are not required to relocate their residence upon graduation.
Cadet Class 138
The state police also commissioned 42 new troopers from Cadet Class 138 at a graduation ceremony on Dec. 16 at the state police academy.
The new troopers reported to Illinois State Police District Chicago and District 11 at Collinsville on Monday, Dec. 19, and immediately began their patrol duties.
The 42 newest troopers have completed a demanding 28-week program of physical and classroom instruction.
In addition to the 28-week academy training, troopers are required to participate in one-on-one mentoring with field training officers as part of a 14-week field training program, expanding their total training to 42 weeks.
Troopers who successfully complete the field training program advance to solo-patrol status.