© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U of I Police Training Institute Will Keep Training Cops

The opening of a new police academy this fall in Decatur was expected to mean that the University of Illinois Police Training Institute, just 50 miles away in Urbana, would close.

But director Michael Schlosser announced Thursday that the Police Training Institute will continue to offer classes in 2018. He said the university signed an agreement Wednesday with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to continue the PTI.

Schlosser says demand is up for police training in Illinois.

“There’s a big demand right now for recruit spots,” he said. “The hiring is really up in the state of Illinois, and there’s enough recruits to probably fill every academy in the state.”

Despite past talk that the U of I and Decatur programs might be combined, Schlosser says the PTI will continue to run separately from the Decatur facility, which is operated by Richland Community College.

The PTI program is well-regarded training and supported by police chiefs and sheriffs around the state.

State Sen. Scott Bennett

State Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, says the Police Training Institute offers a unique approach.

“Since PTI here in Champaign-Urbana is the only one that uses actors, and does the scenario-based training that they do,” Bennett said, “it’s pretty much recognized by all chiefs as the best academy in the state.”

Schlosser says a new batch of about 70 recruits will begin classes at the Police Training Institute in January.

But an increased demand for police training classes statewide convinced the university and state officials that the U of I facility is still needed.