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About Part-Time Officer Basic Training

Part-Time Officer Basic Training is available ONLY to officers who have already been hired and sworn in by an Illinois police department for a part-time police officer position.  We cannot accept civilians, auxiliary, non-sworn officers, sworn officers hired for full-time status, or officers who have previously successfully passed the full-time academy.  No officer may enroll for this training on his/her own.  Enrollment must come through the employing agency.  Part-Time Hours VS Full-Time Hours  <--This explains the difference between a full-time and a part-time officer.  Part Time Training Rules  <-- Rules for students enrolled in MTU #10 Part-Time Basic Training Program.

Part Time Basic Training Academy Application Packet  (Updated Sept 2023) Contains all necessary forms to hire a new part-time officer, request training waiver if necessary, enroll officer in PT Academy, prepare for POWER test, and request reimbursement of tuition upon completion of training.

ENROLLMENT FORMS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT & DEPARTMENT

A part-time officer, in Illinois, is one who works between 1 and 1560 hours per year.

The entire packet of enrollment forms must be completed, and the POWER test must be successfully passed to enroll a part-time officer in the Part-Time Officer Basic Training Course. If you have already submitted enrollment forms to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board, please provide us with a copy of those forms as well. A list of forms is provided on the cover sheet of the enrollment packet. No applicant will be processed without complete paperwork.  (PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU FILE THE OFFICER'S FORM E ON-LINE TO THE IL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING & STANDARDS BOARD.  MTU #10 gets a COPY of the officer's Form E.)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION IN THE PAST REGARDING AN OFFICER'S ORIGINAL DATE OF HIRE.  EACH OFFICER IN ILLINOIS HAS ONLY ONE ORIGINAL DATE OF HIRE AS A PART-TIME OFFICER.  ALL DEADLINES ARE BASED UPON THAT ORIGINAL DATE OF HIRE.  

FOR INSTANCE: IF OFFICER JOHN DOE IS HIRED BY DEPARTMENT "A" ON 1/1/15 AS A PART-TIME OFFICER, AND RESIGNS OR IS RELIEVED OF DUTY WITH DEPARTMENT "A" FOR ANY REASON, 1/1/15 IS STILL HIS ORIGINAL DATE OF HIRE AS A PART-TIME OFFICER. IF HE IS LATER HIRED BY DEPARTMENT "B" AS A PART-TIME OFFICER ON 4/1/15,  OFFICER DOE STILL HAS UNTIL 7/1/15 TO PASS THE POWER TEST AND BE ENROLLED IN A PT BASIC TRAINING CLASS AND STILL HAS 18 MONTHS FROM 1/1/15 TO COMPLETE THE BASIC TRAINING COURSE.  OFFICER DOE DOES NOT BASE ANY DEADLINES UPON THE SECOND DATE OF HIRE WITH DEPARTMENT "B".  

If the officer does not complete his/her basic training requirement within 18 months of his/her date of hire, he/she is no longer eligible to be hired as a part-time officer in the State of Illinois. The officer's only other option would be to get hired by a department at full-time status and be sent to the full time officers' basic training at one of the state certified academies.

P.O.W.E.R. TEST (PEACE OFFICER WELLNESS EVALUATION REPORT)

Applicants are required by ILETSB to successfully pass the "agility" test requirements outlined in the POWER Test pamphlet within 6 months of their original date of hire. The test is scheduled and conducted on a quarterly basis, usually on a Saturday. P.O.W.E.R. test dates will be posted on the LETAC website. In addition to the requirement of passing the POWER test within 6 months of their date of hire, applicants are required to pass the P.O.W.E.R. test within 45 days of the START of the Part-Time Officer Basic Training Course. This means that an officer who has already passed a P.O.W.E.R. test given more than 45 days before the start date of the next Part-Time Officer Basic Training Course, or given by anyone besides the designated MTU P.O.W.E.R. test administrator, must take MTU #10's final P.O.W.E.R. test again and achieve a passing score to be admitted into the program. There are four basic tests each applicant is required to pass, based upon age, sex, and weight. The requirements are outlined in the pamphlet. Please urge your officer to practice the P.O.W.E.R. test requirements prior to the scheduled test date.

Applicants failing all or part of the P.O.W.E.R. test will be granted the opportunity to retake the part(s) failed, within 72 hours, or at the availability of the testing officer. If the applicant fails to retake, the applicant will not be admitted to the program. Experience reveals: Of those failing the P.O.W.E.R. test, the majority were unable to pass the 1.5 mile run within the time allocated the applicant according to his/her age.

BASIC TRAINING TUITION FEE

Effective July 1, 1999, police agencies will be assessed a tuition fee dependent upon the number of officers enrolled in the training. You will be informed of the fee prior to the officer’s enrollment. The tuition fee, not including the officer’s salary and travel expenses, may be reimbursed to the agency when the officer successfully completes the training program, and a claim for reimbursement has been submitted to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board - This is the same procedure used for the full-time officer Basic Training Academy. For your convenience, the reimbursement form has been included in the application packet. Tuition checks must be made payable to LETAC, MTU #10, and received in the Springfield office by the date requested. Training Board rules stipulate that the agency, not the applicant, must pay the tuition fee.

On more than one occasion in the past, in violation of the Training Board rules, an applicant paid the tuition fee to the agency, and upon resignation or dismissal from the training program, the applicants called the Coordinator requesting reimbursement. Tuition fee reimbursements will be paid only to the officer’s employing agency. The applicants and their departments are required to sign a Statement of Understanding and Certification attesting to the fact that they understand this rule.

STUDENT ORIENTATION

An orientation will be conducted at a scheduled time and place. It is mandatory for applicants to attend the class orientation. Experience reveals that applicants failing to attend the orientation program had problems navigating the online training and deciphering which lessons to complete for the month. During the orientation, students are given an overview of the program, hands-on computer training, pre/post test procedures, and student rules of conduct. During this orientation, students are provided with their study assignments for the first module.

DRESS CODE

Officers will be required to report to all Saturday sessions dressed in uniform.  The only exception to this will be Saturday sessions scheduled for a full day of Control and Arrest Tactics training.  During those training sessions, officers should report dressed in workout attire.  

CLASSROOM CONDUCT Officers are to conduct themselves, at all times, in a professional manner.  If an officer's conduct is ever perceived as out of line by the Program Coordinator, he/she may be dismissed from the program immediately.  This is at the sole discretion of the MTU's Part-time Basic Training Program Coordinator. 

 COMPUTER WORK

We encourage students to devote a minimum of 16 hours per week to their online training.

Students failing their module study assignments by the scheduled Saturday training session, will not be allowed to take that module's examination with the rest of the class. The student will be allowed an additional 7 days to complete their work, and at that time will be allowed to take the exam. Makeup sessions will be at the discretion of the Coordinator. Failure to attend a makeup session will be cause for the student’s immediate dismissal from the program.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY TRAINING SESSIONS

The training during the Saturday and/or Sunday training sessions primarily includes hands-on training.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance at Saturday and/or Sunday training sessions is mandatory. Students who fail to attend a Saturday/Sunday training session are responsible for attending a makeup session with another Mobile Team Unit, which is necessary to complete the required credit hours mandated for graduation. Law Enforcement Administrators are encouraged to support this training program by ensuring their officer attends each and every Saturday and/or Sunday training session.

STUDENT WORKBOOKS

Students are responsible for maintaining and completing their student workbooks prior to each Saturday training session. Coordinator will periodically inspect the student workbooks for completion, neatness, and legibility. Students will need to review their workbooks prior to taking the final examination, administered by the Training Board staff during the final Saturday training session.

INFORMATION PROVIDED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATORS

Police Administrators will be notified when a student fails to complete their assignments and are required to make up an exam. Police Administrators will also receive a periodic report of their officer’s academic progress from the Program Coordinator. If the Coordinator identifies a problem with the student’s progress, achievement, conduct, or attendance, the problem will be addressed with the student. If this does not resolve the problem, the Coordinator will contact the student’s Chief Law Enforcement Administrator for assistance in resolving the issue. The Police Administrators are encouraged to call the Coordinator to inquire about the academic status of their officer, or voice any concerns about their progress in the program.

STUDENTS PROMOTED TO FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT

Part-time students enrolled in this class and promoted to full-time status while still enrolled in the PT Basic Training course must be pulled from the program and sent through the full time basic training academy. If the student is promoted to full-time status after graduating from the PT Basic Training course, his/her Chief Law Enforcement Administrator must submit a revised Notice of Appointment/Separation - Form E, with a basic training waiver request to ILETSB.  The Board will then require the student be enrolled in the transition training course (offered on an "as needed" basis) for part-time officers promoted to full-time status.

There is a tuition fee for the transition course. Please contact ILETSB for registration and tuition information.  Upon the officer’s graduation from the transition course, the Chief Law Enforcement Administrator should submit a reimbursement form to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board. The agency will then receive a reimbursement of 50% of the tuition fee, provided there are sufficient funds available to the Training Board for reimbursement of non-basic training funds.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

This exam, consisting of 200 questions, will be given to each part-time officer during the final Saturday training session. The students are granted a maximum of 3 ½ hours to take the exam. The Board will notify the officer’s Chief Law Enforcement Administrator the results of the officer’s score -- either pass or fail. Officers are not to contact the Training Board or the MTU to inquire about their test scores, because the Training Board staff must first notify the Chief Law Enforcement Administrator. 

The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions taken directly from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board's website:

What is eligible for Part-Time Basic reimbursement?
Part-time training is only eligible for tuition and power exam reimbursement. Salary, meals, and travel expenses are not eligible for part-time training reimbursement.

I paid for my part-time basic training. Will the Board reimburse me for my tuition?
No. An officer cannot pay for his/her training. Only units of government can pay or send an officer to training, only units of government can be reimbursed for training

Has the POWER Test changed since implementation?
No, click here for current power test information.

There is no testing information for age range above 59 years old, what do I do for this person?
Test them on the same level as the 59 year old.

What is the policy on retaking the POWER test?
In the event that a recruit officer fails to perform at the established minimum level in one or more of the four assessment areas, then he or she may not be admitted to the academy. A recruit may be given one additional retake, no more than 72 hours from the time of the initial POWER test administration. The retest consists of the failed assessment area(s) only.

Is there a specific sequence for the four assessments in the POWER test?
Yes, the order is Sit & Reach Test, 1 Minute Sit Up Test, 1 Repetition Maximum Bench Press, and the 1.5 mile run

Who and what is the Pre-POWER test?
A Pre-POWER Test is given by Board approved assessors (check your mobile team). After passing all assessment areas prior to entering the academy, an academy may still ask the recruit officer to retest. However, passage of the recruit's Pre-POWER test allows the recruit to enter the academy.

How long is the Pre-POWER test and physical exam good for?
Pre-POWER: 45 days, Physical Exam: 60 days

Is the POWER Test part of the hiring or selection process for an agency?
No, it is not a hiring or selection standard.

How do you measure the Sit & Reach Test?
Subject sits on the floor or mat with legs extended at right angles to a taped line on a box. The heels touch the near edge of the box and are eight inches apart. The subject reaches forward in one smooth motion with both hands overlapped knuckle upon knuckle. middle finger over middle finger, as far as possible moving the slide forward. The distance reached on the scale by the fingertips in inches is recorded. The best of three trials is considered as the flexibility score.

What is the length of time out of law enforcement before an officer has to re-take the academy?
If an Illinois basic trained officer has been out of law enforcement for three years or more, the Board will redirect that he/she complete the "40 Hour Law for Police or Illinois Law Review" course. If the officer has not worked in the capacity of law enforcement for an extended amount of time, ten years or more, upon receipt of the waiver application it is at the discretion of the Board's Executive Director to apply any and all requirements deemed necessary.

When is the 4 Hour Firearms Training Course applicable?
The 4 Hour Firearms Training Course is assigned through the waiver process only. Example: out-of-state trained law enforcement officers; some county correctional officers previously trained by IDOC; Grandfathered law enforcement officers who did not receive the mandated firearms training.

Why does a law enforcement agency have to file a waiver application for a full-time officer moving into a part-time position within the same agency?
The Illinois Police Training Act and the Part-time Training Act each stand alone, and each has its own requirements, therefore, when moving an officer between these two classifications, a waiver is required along with filing a Form E, Notice of Appointment. A request for waiver and Form E, also applies if you are moving the officer into any other sworn capacity, court security, corrections, etc.

Why file a waiver application on an officer who has basic training and is moving from another agency?
The Illinois Police Training Act stipulates that an officer must complete basic training with-in the first six months of hiring date. The waiver belongs to the AGENCY. You basically are asking that the training requirement for this officer be waived due to the fact that the officer is already trained. You do, however, have the option, and may send the officer back through the academy.

Can I send Notice of Appointments in at the same time I send in my roster if I notice changes need to be made?
Yes. This is the best time to ensure your roster is accurate. Any changes in name, SSN or employment status, that isn't reflected on the roster when you receive it MUST have a notice of Appointment in order for these changes to be implemented.

Who is authorized to sign the Personnel Rosters?
The Chief or Mayor. In the case neither are available, an interim Chief, however, a Notice of Appointment must be on file and signed by the Mayor.

Do I need to report Correctional and Court Security Officers' part-time hours?
No. This is only required for part-time law enforcement officers.

Is there an electronic (internet) program available that I can use to submit the roster to you?
Not at this time. Currently, the Board is working on a program where agencies will be able to submit paperwork, including rosters, on-line. Look for this in the near future.

Can I fax a copy of the roster if I am late sending it in?
No. The roster isn't considered a legal document unless an original signature has been submitted.** You can submit the roster via fax in order to show information has been completed, however, you must still mail the original roster.

How does a police department file a reimbursement claim?
The department must complete and submit the claim form promptly after the class ends. The directions are included when a form is downloaded. The Board's fiscal year is from 07/01 to 06/30 of any year. The claim form must be submitted before July 15 of that year. See the next question for the forms required for reimbursement.

What reimbursement form do I complete?
Three different reimbursement forms may be found online.
The Basic Reimbursement form must be used for basic law enforcement or correction training when an employee becomes a full-time law enforcement officer or a full- time county correctional officer.
The Part-Time Basic Reimbursement form must be used when an employee becomes a part-time officer.
A Non-Basic Reimbursement form must be used for all other certified and reimbursable (non-asterisk*) training listed in the State of Illinois Training Schedule of Board Certified Classes.

When will I get my reimbursement
The Basic Courses may be reimbursed periodically throughout the fiscal year. Non-Basic Courses are reimbursed after the fiscal year deadline(July 15 each year). The Departments usually receive their reimbursements in the third and fourth week of August.

What happens if I submit the claim late?
It is denied. The Board is an agency of the State of Illinois, as such, we cannot pay a reimbursement after the close of the fiscal year. The denied agency may then file the claim with The Court of Claims for determination.