ASSIST Program – Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Mobile Team In-Service Training Unit?
A Mobile Team In-Service Training Unit is defined as “an organization formed by a combination of
units of local government…to deliver in-service training to local and state law
enforcement officers…” The Mobile Team Unit (MTU) is formed through an
intergovernmental agreement and typically includes the joint participation of from two, to
as many as one hundred, units of local government. It is a not-for-profit governmental
entity directed and administered by an advisory board composed of local
elected officials, local criminal justice administrators and the Director of the Illinois Law
Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
What is the purpose of Mobile Team in-service law enforcement training?
It is to encourage local and state law enforcement officers to upgrade their knowledge
and skills in techniques pertinent to the law enforcement profession; to provide law
enforcement officers with training opportunities within their own locality, and on flexible
schedules; and to provide quality training on topics of instruction centered on specific
local needs.
What are the benefits of Mobile Team in-service training?
Professional Development – The officer becomes better trained to perform his/her
assigned job duties. An officer who is well trained and professional in his/her approach
to the job will be a definite asset to the department, as well as to the community. The
establishment of a Mobile Team In-Service Training Unit provides the structure by which
permanent law enforcement officers are able to receive “continued training” throughout
their careers.
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Illinois as well as other states, is comprised of a multiplicity of local law
enforcement agencies, many of which are quite small. These smaller agencies often lack
sufficient budget allocations to allow non-basic, in-service training expenditures for their
officers. Mobile Team In-Service Training is structured so that undue strain is not placed
upon departmental budgets. Monies are allocated in such a fashion so that cost does not
become a prohibitive factor acting to preclude agency participation. Time and money
losses due to travel are eliminated or reduced, ultimately resulting in
budgetary savings to the department.
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The Board funds 16 Mobile Team Units, which collectively have the
capability to serve every Illinois jurisdiction. This established training network is
capable of delivering programs to every permanent law enforcement officer in Illinois.
This wide-range training availability is a unique advantage of Mobile Team Unit
participation.
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Accessibility – Mobile Team Units arrange training courses to accommodate the specific
needs and schedules of the departments and their personnel.
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ILETSB has assumed a position of non-interference with regard
to the day-to-day operations of the Mobile Team Units. Mobile Team Units must set
their own goals and objectives, within the scope of the Police Training Act, and then implement the
administrative and operational structures necessary to achieve those goals and objectives.
An advisory board controls each MTU. Local control allows for the development and
administration of training programs that are designed to meet the unique and special
needs of law enforcement in a given geographical area.
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Topics of instruction and course curricula are limited only by the
imagination and by dictated need. The Mobile Team Units have the freedom and
autonomy to contract with individuals as well as public and private law enforcement
academies and training enterprises for the delivery of specific training courses. This
flexibility allows each MTU the opportunity to enhance the overall
quality of training.
How do Mobile Teams qualify to receive financial assistance from the State of
Illinois?
The amount of state funds that a mobile team may receive shall equal up to fifty percent
of the total approved budget of that mobile team. These funds are appropriated annually
by the General Assembly for the administration of the Police Training Act, ILETSB, and the
Executive Director of the ILETSB in determining the amount of funds to be disbursed
to each Mobile Team Unit. Each unit of local government is assessed a membership fee
by the Mobile Team Unit on an annual basis. This fee qualifies the department and
officers for unlimited participation in the scheduled training courses. The fee is
established at a fair and equitable level to encourage maximum participation.
What does the training method offer?
Mobile Team Units provide law enforcement organizations and their personnel with a
method and system for keeping pace with change. The MTU monitors, identifies and
assesses the impact of change upon the individual, the organization, and the community.
What is the function of the Mobile Team Unit?
Mobile Team Units operate in a supportive role, serving participating units of government
and law enforcement agencies. The primary focus is training, although, in many cases
the unit and its staff members may provide additional service and technical guidance in
the areas of recruitment and selection, management, planning, policy formulation, etc.
The administration of regionalized training for law enforcement personnel is the major
enterprise of the Mobile Team Units.
Whom do I contact for more information?
In order to receive additional information concerning the Intergovernmental Law
Enforcement Officers In-Service Training Act, please contact:
Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board
4500 South Sixth Street
Springfield, IL 62703-6617
Telephone: 217/782-4540
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Should you wish to receive information pertaining to a specific Mobile Team Unit which
has been designated to serve your area; or wish to learn more about specific training
courses scheduled for delivery in your area, please refer to our website or contact your
local Mobile Team Unit Director.
Public Act 82-674 / Intergovernmental Law Enforcement Officers In-Service
Training Act
Administrative Rules
Mobile Team Unit Map/Directory
